We Four Freaks
by Thetimetel
Summary: Three Anima and a boy are traveling the Anima world. But what does it take to be labeled as a freak? BE WARNED: Some adult humor, violence, and there will be blood. P.S. The words on the cover are 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And spiders.' Current rewrite progress: Chapter 10
1. The Thief And The Trapper

Hello there! This is officially my third story I'm working on. Sorry about the summary, here's the gist of the story: It's about a group of +Anima, and a 'normal' boy, and their adventures together. Throughout their travels they find themselves against impossible odds and learn that each one of them has a secret. Can they all remain friends, or are there going to be pairings, or what? How should I know, I'm only the author! In homage to the original +Anima series, the group size will be 4 (including the 'normal' boy).

[Update:9/15/2012

Alright, let's give this another go. The first chapter has been completely rewritten. In order to avoid spoilers, I will not state most of the things I changed in this chapter or preceding chapters. However, I will say that I tried to avoid meddling with the more important parts of the story. The overall plot will not be affected, but some of the minor events will play out differently.]

We start the story following Tachine, a teenage girl that is also a fox +Anima.

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><p>The young girl walked through the forest, keeping a careful eye out for danger. She was no stranger to being in a forest, but this was her first time in <em>this<em> forest. As such, she didn't know which way was which. Not that it really worried her though. So long as she followed a straight line, the forest _had_ to end at some point.

The girl's name was Tachine, and she was about seventeen or sixteen years old. Her long red hair was neatly brushed and well kept. While most people would likely not think of hair for having a practical purpose, she deliberately kept her hair long for a reason. It was the perfect way for her to hide the +Anima mark that resided on the back of her neck. Her blue eyes scanned the area thoroughly for danger. She would have been the first to admit that she may just have been being paranoid, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed.

At the moment, Tachine had fox-ears and a large bushy tail that was currently hidden underneath her clothing. While she knew it was dangerous to be in her +Anima form, Tachine wasn't all that worried. The most obvious part of her +Anima form was her large bushy tail, and right now that was well hidden underneath a heavy robe. The robe itself was almost pure-white, and closed via a sash around the waist. It was nothing fancy, but it hid her tail well. Since her fox ears were rather small, she could still be mistaken for a human at a distance.

After a few minutes of walking Tachine was startled to find the forest abruptly open up into a large clearing. Next to the edge of the forest was an aged trail that must have been used for decades. As Tachine looked around, she suddenly recognized a perfect opportunity. A young man with a rather muscular build, brown hair, and two green eyes was walking down the trail in Tachine's direction. He clearly hadn't seen Tachine yet, so she quickly re-entered the forest and got back far enough to be out of the man's line of sight.

Tachine gave a slight grin to herself as she gently brushed her hair with her hands, trying to make herself look appealing. Fortunately for her that wasn't all that difficult. She took quite good care of her body, and her body rewarded her for that. She wouldn't call herself the most beautiful girl in the world, but . . . well okay, _maybe_ she would have. She certainly had a body that got most men's attention, to say the least, and she knew how to use that to her advantage.

She couldn't see the man anymore, but she had paid attention to his overall speed. She used that to predict when he'd be just about to her spot. As she waited, Tachine had to calm her nerves a little. This had to go right the first time. But Tachine wasn't that worried. This was something she was experienced at. She brushed her hair one last time, and immediately froze as she brushed her hand against her fox ear. Whew, she had almost forgotten about that. She quickly forced her +Anima traits to recede, they would only get her in _big_ trouble if the man saw them.

Once she knew the man had to be close, Tachine made her move. She broke out into a sprint towards the trail, and forced herself to look worried. As she exited the forest she inwardly grinned. She had predicted the young man flawlessly. The man flinched as he turned to face Tachine, who faked both exhaustion and relief as she stopped running. She spoke carefully, but fluently. "Oh, thank _god!_ I was starting to think I'd _never_ find the way out!"

Tachine then deliberately stopped speaking, put her hands on her knees and bent over, forcing herself to breathe heavily. She also deliberately forced her knees to shake slightly, to imitate the trembling a person does when they have just about reached their limit. It was important that the boy thought Tachine was exhausted, that would help keep him from realizing what was _really_ about to happen. And it was clearly working. The boy immediately raced over to Tachine and gently grabbed her by the shoulders to help steady her. "Hey, a-are you okay?"

Inwardly, Tachine grinned. Outwardly, she allowed herself to give the boy a tired smile. "Y-yeah, I'll be alright. I-It seemed like a good idea to take a shortcut through the forest, I-I didn't think I'd get lost so easily."

Tachine allowed herself to take another big breath. It wasn't necessary, but it gave her an excuse to look downward at the man's waist. And there, hanging from a leather strap, was her target. She almost had to stop herself from squealing with joy at the size of the bag. This guy was _rich_. But he wouldn't be for long.

The man politely asked Tachine if she needed help. Tachine faked looking down both sides of the trail, trying her best to make it appear as if she was lost. "I-uh, I got lost in the forest. Can you tell me which path leads where?"

The man nodded before telling her the name of two separate villages, pointing down the path to show which way led to which village. Tachine gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. Now she had to only set up the final part correctly. "Thank you. I-it's really important I get to"

Tachine stated the name of one of the villages the man had mentioned. It was a reflex of hers, and in reality she couldn't have cared less which village she had said. What was important was the next part. "-within the next few days. I-uh, I'd pay you for your help, but I don't have any gillah."

While the young man gave her a kind smile, stating it wasn't a problem, Tachine persisted. "You don't have any idea how much that helps me. I just, I _have_ to be able to repay your kindness. Is there anything you want?"

Before the young man could answer Tachine gave him a tired-yet-sly smile as she gently placed a hand on the startled man's chest. "_Anything?_"

The young man's face immediately turned scarlet as he realized what Tachine was hinting towards. Tachine continued to give him an innocent look, and waited for him to look around. Of course he was going to look around, all men did that when she asked that question. Tachine's current theory was that they were looking to make certain no one else was hearing this, and if so then they possibly may have taken that chance. Of course, that was _exactly_ what Tachine wanted them to do. She wanted them to take their eyes off of her for just a moment, and the instant that the young man looked to his right Tachine made her move.

She quickly grabbed out a dagger that she kept hidden in the right sleeve of her robes, and in one fluid motion she quickly cut the pouch off of the startled man's belt, kicked the man in the stomach hard enough to upset his balance, turned around, and finally she sprinted back into the forest. About seven seconds passed before Tachine heard the man's angered voice reverberate through the air. "**_THIEF!_**"

Of course, Tachine was long gone by that point. She had waited until she knew the trees blocked the man's view of her, and immediately changed direction to throw the man off of her trail. She continued to run for almost a minute before she stopped, breathing heavily. She was physically fit of course, but her heavy robes really weighed her down when she had to run. For a little bit of time Tachine waited with her back to a nearby tree, listening closely for footsteps in case the man managed to follow her. Once she was certain she didn't hear any, Tachine let out a large sigh of relief.

"You **_bitch!_**"

Tachine only had time to turn her head before the man's fist struck her in the side of her head. She let out a cry of pain as she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She quickly looked up in shock to find the angered man glaring at her, cracking his knuckles.

"Think about this for a second. It's not winter, so there's not much in the forest right now that's pure-white. Those robes can be seen almost a mile away."

Tachine could only blush at her own stupidity. It made sense now. Her robes had made it so much easier to steal during winter that she hadn't bothered to think about _why_. But it didn't matter right now. She quickly got back to her feet, but didn't move fast enough to avoid the next punch from the enraged man. Tachine fell face-first from the force of the hit.

"_That_ is for your little trick earlier! How _dare_ you do that to me! I"

The man abruptly cut off, and Tachine gulped as she tried to figure out why. It was only when she felt a hand brush her hair away from her neck, revealing Tachine's +Anima mark to the man, that she realized just how much trouble she was in. She cringed as the man spoke silently, his voice filled with malice. "_+Anima._"

Tachine cringed as the man's hand clenched in clear anger. She had to move quickly! After slapping the man's hand, which had still been lying on her neck, Tachine quickly got to her feet and began backing away. The man's green eyes seemed to glow with his anger, and as he spoke he was visibly shaking with rage. "I _was_ just going to leave it at that, but not anymore. I hate thieves, but the one thing I can't tolerate _at all_ is a +Anima!"

As the man grabbed out a knife, Tachine felt herself freeze up. All color drained away from Tachine's face as the man began walking towards her. She tried to snap herself out of it, but she couldn't seem to move.

In the end, it didn't matter. As the man brought back a hand to strike, both he and Tachine were startled as the man's hand made a strange jerking motion. The man immediately looked at his hand, and to Tachine's surprise the man seemingly tried to grab the air around his hand. It was only when he appeared to succeed in grabbing thin air that Tachine was able to see what was going on. It looked like the man's hand was caught in a small lasso made entirely of string. The string was so thin that it was hard to see when it wasn't reflecting sunlight.

The man appeared to be just as confused as Tachine felt. He held the string in a different way, apparently trying to see it better. "Is this _string?_"

"Good guess."

Tachine flinched before she looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It clearly belonged to a male, but it didn't sound like the speaker was very old. It sounded calm and confident, and after a bit of looking around Tachine finally located the source standing on the branch of a tree almost directly in front of her.

It was a boy, a boy with pale skin. While Tachine could have guessed just from the voice that the boy was young, what she had failed to predict was just _how_ young the boy was. He couldn't have been more than thirteen years old! Still, the boy had a very determined look on his face. His bright red eyes casually switched from staring at the man to staring at Tachine repeatedly.

The boy's clothing was . . . well, rather bizarre. It wasn't complicated at all, it was just a shirt and a pair of shorts. The boy's shirt was a grey color, almost right in-between the colors white and black. But the bizarre thing about his shirt was that it was _several_ sizes too large. It looked like it was supposed to be a t-shirt for a tall and wide man, but because of the boy's small stature, the sleeves of the shirt reached about halfway up his forearms. The neck of the shirt was large enough that the boy's shoulders were almost slipping through it. To top it all off, the shirt was clearly meant for someone taller than the boy. The bottom of the shirt reached his knees.

The boy's shorts were hard to see underneath the shirt, but from the little bit that Tachine could see of them, they were clearly a dark color if not black. In complete contrast to the large shirt he wore, the boy was both short and skinny. That fact was only exaggerated by the boy's large shirt, which made him look almost dangerously skinny and ridiculously short.

All of this only took a few seconds to register. The final thing that Tachine noticed about the boy was the fact that he was carrying a rather large pack on his back, and that the boy appeared to be holding the other end of the string that was around the man's hand. The man gave a slight grin before he jerked his hand forwards, but he and Tachine both flinched when the string didn't break. The boy simply chuckled as he leaned against the same tree that the branch the boy was standing on was attached to.

"This is _my_ string. It won't break from such a weak-"

With a slight grunt the man whipped his hand forwards. Tachine saw the string that the boy was holding went slack, so she was quite certain that it had broke. At this time, the man gave a dangerous look to Tachine, reminding her of the much more urgent situation she had to deal with. But as the man tried to advance, the boy spoke. "You don't want to do that."

The man gave the boy an annoyed grunt, and addressed the boy without ever taking his attention off of Tachine. "This _+Anima_ stole from me. Believe me runt, she deserves this."

While the man tried to move again, the boy sighed as he reached into his pack. "I'd look down if I were you, 'sir'."

As he spoke, the boy grabbed a knife out of his pack. The man turned to face the boy, and soon raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to fight me kid. I'm . . . what the hell do you mean 'look down'?"

The boy simply gave a slight grin before he swung his arm forwards, making a chopping motion with the knife in thin air. About halfway through the swing Tachine heard a strange sound nearby, and the man gave a cry of shock as a white blur appeared to erupt from the ground beneath his feet. What happened next took a few seconds to register. The white thing enveloped the man and launched into the air, taking the startled man with it.

"**_WHAT IN THE-_**"

It only took a few seconds for the action to slow down though, and once it did Tachine was able to identify the white blur. But . . . that was strange. It looked like rope, yet it was pure white. The man was now hanging from a tree-branch several feet above the ground, trapped within a net made of the bizarre pure-white rope. For a while, Tachine continued to stare at the trapped man. The man himself swore as he tried to get out, but it didn't look like he was making much headway.

"_That's_ what I meant."

Tachine flinched at the unexpected voice. She turned to find the boy had climbed down from the tree, and was now standing about five feet away from Tachine and looking up at the man with a slight smirk on his face. Now that they were standing close to each other, Tachine was shocked to realize it wasn't just the shirt that made the boy seem small. While Tachine was about average height, she stood almost a head taller than the boy did. As the man swore and cursed at the boy, the boy merely chuckled before bending over and picking up something near his feet. Tachine was surprised to find the object was the same knife the man had threatened her with.

"This is a neat-looking knife."

Without another word the boy put the knife into his own pack of supplies. The curses from the man caught within the trap intensified, but the boy startled Tachine when he gave her a friendly smile. "Hi. My name is Acyr. What's yours?"

Tachine responded almost automatically with her own name. She was still trying to figure out what had just happened. Had Acyr . . . did he just _save_ Tachine? Fortunately for Tachine, Acyr gave her the answer. "I've been following you for the last few minutes, and I saw your little trick with him. I thought you would appreciate a little help."

Tachine dumbly nodded in reply. While the man was still shouting insults towards the two of them, both Acyr and Tachine ignored him. After a few seconds Tachine finally managed to shake off her shock, and she spoke to Acyr. "I'm certainly not complaining, but . . . why are you helping me if you saw me steal from him?"

She didn't expect the kind smile that appeared on Acyr's face. When Acyr responded, his voice was gentle yet firm. "I felt that his retaliation for the crime was too harsh. For me, stealing from someone doesn't give them the right to kill you."

"**_DON'T YOU GET IT?_**"

Tachine immediately flinched before she looked up again. The man had apparently given up on trying to get free, and he now was giving Tachine a murderous glare. "**_She's a +Anima!_**"

Tachine immediately looked at Acyr. She knew well how that simple fact could change a friend into an enemy in just a few seconds. If Acyr was going to turn hostile, Tachine couldn't let it catch her by surprise. In fact, she almost expected it. So she wasn't surprised to find Acyr's stance stiffen slightly. It was quite clear to Tachine that Acyr wouldn't have saved her if he had known that, so Tachine wasn't going to wait for Acyr to get over his shock.

Tachine quickly turned herself around and broke out into a sprint, racing out of the clearing. While she was still exhausted from trying to flee the other person, she wasn't going to just let herself get caught. Unfortunately, she had already reached her limit. It only took about twenty seconds of running before Tachine felt her limbs protest her decision, and according to the burning sensation in her limbs they also were begging her to stop. Instead she forced herself to continue running, and managed to do so for about five more seconds.

But as she raced by a rather large tree, Tachine yelped in shock when the ground underneath her erupted. It wasn't long before Tachine found herself caught in a second net-trap and hanging about twenty feet off of the ground. She could only curse her own luck. Just how did Acyr predict where she was going to run? How did he keep setting up these traps with only a moment's notice?

Tachine weakly tried to struggle, but she could only cringe as her body fiercely protested the movement. Her legs felt like they were on fire. Even if she could break out of this net, that was a twenty-foot drop to the ground, and she just didn't have the energy to deal with that. This was it, she was caught. It was over.

"You _know_"

Tachine cringed as she heard Acyr's voice from a little bit behind her. She turned her head, and found Acyr standing on a branch and standing about three feet away from him. But what really surprised her was the amused expression on Acyr's face. "He already _said_ that you were a +Anima _before_ I caught him in the trap."

It felt like Tachine had been struck by a lightning bolt. "Wait, you _knew?_ Why would you help . . . wait, are you also a +Anima?"

The boy smiled again before grabbing a part of the net and forcing it to swing over by him. As the boy swiftly cut a hole into the net, he spoke to Tachine. "That depends. Do you need one of those marks to be a +Anima?"

Tachine nodded. She wasn't certain, but she thought that she saw Acyr sigh before he shook his head. "Then no, I don't have the honor of being a +Anima."

As Tachine tried to get out of the net, Acyr soon helped her by grabbing her hand. It felt so strange to Tachine. Why was Acyr helping her if he wasn't a +Anima? It just didn't make sense to her. Fortunately for her, she didn't have much time to think about it. Well actually, it was kind of _un_fortunate. It was clear to her that Acyr had set this trap up so he could simply stand on the branch he was on now to get to the hanging prey.

But he had made a mistake. When Tachine shifted most of her weight onto the branch, both she and Acyr gave cries of shock when the branch snapped. Luckily the fall wasn't _that_ far of a fall. While the landing was painful, Tachine was able to get to her feet with only a little bit of trouble, which was mainly from how exhausted she was. Acyr soon stood up as well, wiping the dirt off of his shirt. Tachine was surprised when Acyr gave a slight blush as he looked up at the tree. "I can't believe I didn't think about that! Just because the branch can hold _my_ weight doesn't mean it can hold the combined weight of two different people! I'm such an _idiot_!"

While Acyr spoke very harshly about himself, to Tachine it didn't look like Acyr truly meant what he was saying. It seemed more a way for him to shake off his own embarrassment. Tachine herself gave a slight chuckle even as her limbs almost gave way. She was _exhausted_ from her ordeals so far. "I'm still really impressed. How did you set up these traps so fast? How did you _correctly _predict where he would be standing _and_ where I would run off to?"

Acyr flinched before looking at Tachine weirdly. After a moment, a look of revelation appeared on his face. Tachine wasn't expecting the meek smile Acyr gave her. "I see, you think this was planned. If you want an honest answer, it _wasn't._"

While Tachine flinched from her shock, she was more surprised when she suddenly found herself back on the ground. This time, it was simply because she was too exhausted to stand anymore. Fortunately, with Acyr's help, Tachine was soon resting with her back to a tree. As she rested, Acyr spoke again.

"I trap animals to get food. The trap you got caught by was made . . . two days ago, and I was hoping more for a small animal. The trap the man got caught in has been there for _months_. I was actually thinking of taking it down soon, so when I saw him walking towards you - and, unintentionally, my trap - I waited until he was above it before I intervened. As for you hitting this one . . . well, I didn't even expect you to run away like that. Don't get me wrong, it only makes sense that you'd feel like you were in danger now that I've had time to think about it."

So it was just coincidence? Well, Tachine guessed she could accept that. She was surprised when Acyr offered to get her some water to drink, although that didn't stop her from accepting that offer. Acyr got her to grin when he told Tachine to stay where she was as he got the water. She simply agreed to stay there, and Acyr immediately sprinted out of sight. But in her head she was almost laughing. 'Stay where she was'? Tachine was almost dead from exhaustion! Where exactly did Acyr think she was going?

Tachine didn't know how long she waited for Acyr to come back, although she must have waited for at least an hour. For most of the wait, Tachine just forced herself to relax. Fortunately it wasn't that hot of a day out, and Acyr had made certain to put Tachine in the shade. The burning in her limbs was countered by the cool breeze. In fact, by the time Acyr finally came back with a large white pouch filled with water, Tachine's limbs were no longer burning.

Not to say that she didn't want the water. She gulped mouthful after mouthful of water from the small opening in the pouch, although she was surprised to find the water was a little warmer than it could be naturally. Once she got her fill, she handed the practically empty pouch back to Acyr, who drank his fill before dumping the rest of the water on the ground nearby.

It was a little bit longer before Tachine finally had an acceptable amount of energy. She was surprised, and a little bit touched, when Acyr sat next to her and began talking. It wasn't long before the two of them managed to have a full conversation, and Tachine was soon explaining to Acyr how she had been abandoned at the age of seven, and had soon become a +Anima, and had been a thief ever since.

In return, Acyr startled Tachine when he revealed that he had no idea what his past was. He only remembered the last year of his life, and he hadn't left the forest since that time. She was even more surprised when Acyr admitted that he was going to leave the forest soon so he could try to figure out what had happened to him, but had been having issues building up the courage to do so. But what startled Tachine the most was when Acyr asked if he could travel with Tachine. After a few seconds of thinking, Tachine smiled and told Acyr that he could. It wasn't like she was planning on going anywhere in specific anyways.

The topic soon changed to Tachine asking how Acyr kept track of all of his traps. Acyr smiled as he explained that there was a clearing nearby with a _massive_ tree right in the middle of it. He explained that whenever he made a trap, he tied a string from the trap to one of the tree's branches and rigged it so the string was slack when the trap wasn't sprung, then went taut as the trap sprung. He then would follow the string back to the trap, get whatever he caught, then reset the trap if it would work again or demolish the trap if it was too damaged by whatever it had caught.

When Tachine asked Acyr how many traps he had set up like that, Acyr laughed and offered to show Tachine the clearing. Intrigued at his offer, Tachine accepted, and it wasn't long before Acyr was leading her through the forest. The walk to the clearing didn't take too long. It probably hadn't even been a minute before Tachine saw the clearing. But the instant she saw the clearing, Tachine was completely startled.

She knew what to expect, of course. Acyr had already explained that she'd be seeing a tree with some lengths of string attached to its branches. What she _hadn't _expected was the sheer _number_ of strings. There had to be at least a hundred lengths of string attached to that tree! Tachine could only stare in shock at the tree. "_Each one_ is connected to a trap?"

Acyr smiled at Tachine before he nodded. "Yeah, every single one. Like these two here"

At this Acyr reached forwards and lightly strummed two taut strings. The strings let out a slight hum as they slowly came to a stop, during which Acyr finished his sentence. "Are from the trap you got caught in and the trap the man got caught in."

Tachine could only stare around in shock at the sheer number of strings, but after a few seconds she was surprised as she saw a taut string right next to those two. While she waited for Acyr to speak about it, she soon realized Acyr didn't see it and decided to point it out. "What about this string?"

When Acyr turned and looked at the string, Tachine saw Acyr flinch. "What? But I was _just _over there! It . . . it must have sprung within the last minute. Alright, come on."

Without another word Acyr sprinted towards the forest, running parallel with the taut string. Tachine was right behind him. As they followed the string, Tachine noticed that something seemed off about Acyr. While she understood that Acyr must have been worried about the trap breaking, it just felt like he was running a little _too_ fast for someone worried about a trap. But as the two of them suddenly reached a break in the trees, Tachine forgot about the oddity almost immediately.

The forest was next to the ocean, apparently. There was a slight beach in between them, perhaps ten or twelve feet in length. But the ocean wasn't what caused both Acyr and Tachine to freeze in place, and it certainly wasn't what caused Acyr to cover his mouth in horror.

Acyr had caught something in his trap alright. But it wasn't a fish. It was a person. The boy looked to be about Tachine's age, maybe a year or two older. He wore a loose-fitting dark-blue shirt, along with a nice blue pair of shorts. The boy's hair was a bizarre dark-blue color and quite short, not even reaching his ear. His overall frame was skinny, and he looked to be average height. But what really got their attention was the fact that the boy was face-down in the water and wasn't moving. Around the boy's lower half was a mess of white rope.

Tachine almost felt her heart stop. The boy must have gotten tangled in Acyr's trap, and had eventually drowned. Acyr looked completely horrified, and Tachine was caught off-guard when Acyr began shouting in a panicked voice. "**_WHAT? But HOW? It can't be! HOW CAN SOMEONE BREATHE WHILE THEY'RE DROWNING!?_**"

Wait, _what?_ Tachine immediately raced out onto the beach, and looked carefully at the boy floating just twenty feet away from shore. And she couldn't _believe_ what she saw. The boy was face-down in the water, and yet just as Acyr had said, the boy's chest was still rising and falling. It was such a bizarre sight that Tachine had to do a double take. How could someone actually breathe while they were face-down in water?

Tachine abruptly got her answer when she noticed quite a few long tentacles coming from the boy's waist. "He's a +Anima! He can breathe underwater! Okay, crisis over."

Tachine almost laughed when she heard Acyr give a large sigh of relief as well. So at least for now, this wasn't a life-threatening situation for the boy in the water. He looked like he was unconscious, but that could have been caused by him exhausting himself while he tried to get out of the trap. What was more, one of the tentacles had actually managed to reach the shore. This was perfect, they could simply pull him right to shore and get him untangled! But as Tachine reached for the tentacle, she was surprised when Acyr immediately commanded her to stop. While startled, Tachine obeyed, although she immediately turned to face Acyr.

Something wasn't right here. She didn't know what it was, but something wasn't right here. Was it how shaken Acyr looked? No, she guessed that made perfect sense considering Acyr just thought he had killed someone by accident. What was more, this was so _sudden_ . . . no, that just wasn't it. As such, Tachine simply asked Acyr why he told her to stop.

Acyr took a deep breath, clearly to help himself calm down. Tachine waited as patiently as she could, until Acyr finally answered. "Those are the tentacles of a box jellyfish +Anima. If you touch those, you are going to be in for a _world_ of pain."

While Tachine didn't really believe that, she waited for Acyr to give her a better idea. When that better idea was for Acyr to pull the kid in using the rope from the trap _that was still twenty feet from shore_, she decided that there was still something off. "First off, he's _surrounded_ by the tentacles. It would be more dangerous to swim out there and get tangled up, if the sting is as bad as you're trying to make it sound, than it would be to just get a slight sting on the hand. Secondly, and this is partially related to the first one, _don't be a baby about it_. I've been stung before, it's no big deal."

Acyr got Tachine by surprise when he flinched, but she didn't let it slow her down. As she bent down to grab the tentacle, Acyr spoke up. "What? You got stung by a box jellyfish before and just shook it off?"

Tachine rolled her eyes as she reached for the tentacle. Just before she grasped it, she spoke again to Acyr. "Actually that sting was from a bee, but a sting is a sting nonetheless."

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><p>Here's a little fun fact: the sting of the box jellyfish has been described as being branded with red-hot iron, and that's just what the scars look like.<p>

Update: 3/9/12

I agree, that DOES make it look better. Let me know if I fixed the problem with the 'oh no' or if I just made it worse please.

[Update:9/15/2012

I'm liking this. There may be a few mistakes here and there (and don't be hesitant to point them out if there are), but I do sincerely believe this is a HUGE improvement to my original first chapter.

Reviews are always appreciated.]


	2. The Drifter

Hi again! Time for the next chapter!

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><p>The boy named Kshtsi slowly returned to consciousness. What had happened? His head was <em>killing<em> him. Let's see . . . Kshtsi had been drowning . . . then he had started . . . dreaming? Well . . . yeah, he must have went unconscious at some point. That was such a strange dream though. He had dreamt that, somehow, he could breathe underwater . . . but by that point, he had practically passed out already . . .

Okay, so . . . where was he now? He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he could feel sand underneath him. When Kshtsi heard the hoot of an owl, he guessed it must have been night. He could also hear the crackling of a fire . . . so he had been saved?

But as Kshtsi continued to wake up, he was surprised to hear the sound of someone whimpering. That sound was followed by the voice of a pre-teen boy. "So Tachine, what did we learn today?"

Kshtsi again heard the whimper, which was soon followed by the voice of a teenage girl. The voice was strained, as if the speaker was in a great deal of pain. "J-jellyfish stings are-OW! W-worse than b-bee stings."

A jellyfish? So they had swam into the water to save him? The two voices weren't talking right now, although Kshtsi could hear a few whimpers from the girl every now and then. Eventually Kshtsi felt strong enough to open his eyes, and he almost _immediately_ found something to look at.

He could see the girl now. She wore a large, loose-fitting pair of heavy, pure-white robes that was held shut by a pure-white obi tied around the girl's waist. But even those robes couldn't hide the girl's slender form, or the liveliness of the girl herself. At the moment the girl was facing away from Kshtsi, so all he could see of her head was her long red hair.

When the boy spoke, Kshtsi tried to turn his head to look. Unfortunately, his head didn't _want_ to move, and as he tried to cope with the resulting headache he heard the boy speak to the girl. "How is it now?"

"B-better. H-how much longer did you say it will hurt?"

"Let's see . . . you got yourself stung - I mean, got stung about four hours ago. It should have finished running its course by morning."

Kshtsi saw the girl turn her head to face someone on the other side of Kshtsi. She was clearly angry at what the boy had said, probably the 'you got yourself stung' part of the sentence, but as Kshtsi finally found the strength to move he saw the girl's brilliant blue eyes immediately focus on him. "Hey, he's waking up! Hi there!"

Kshtsi gave a weak groan in response. The pretty girl almost immediately got to her feet and turned herself around, finally letting Kshtsi see the girl's face.

It was really pretty. Her face had a very delicate look about it, so much that she almost looked vulnerable. She clearly took good care of her hair, and let most of it hang behind her. A bit of it though hung down in front of her shoulders, and came to an end about halfway down her torso. When the girl winced and grabbed her hand, Kshtsi's attention was brought to that hand.

It was her left hand. She had clearly been stung on her palm and a little bit around her wrist, because that was where the bandages were. The bandages started between her thumb and pointer finger, went down to her wrist diagonally, and then were wrapped around her wrist tightly. She must have tried to grab one of the jellyfish's tentacles, and when it stung her she had whipped her hand back, the momentum causing the end of the tentacle to fly up and wrap around her wrist.

The girl tried to rush over to Kshtsi, clearly intending to help him up, but to Kshtsi's shock a large grey blur passed over him and intercepted the girl. Once it stopped moving, Kshtsi realized the blur was actually a young boy wearing a _huge_ grey shirt, _far_ larger than it needed to be for him. The boy was deliberately blocking the girl's path to Kshtsi, and as Kshtsi watched the girl's eyes narrowed in clear anger. "What are you doing _now_?"

The boy didn't seem intimidated at all, calmly motioning towards Kshtsi as he gave his response. "Do you _want_ to get stung again? They may be hard to see, considering its dark out, but the tentacles _are_ there."

Wait, _what?_ What did the boy mean by that? Kshtsi shifted his position, and was surprised to feel something strange around his legs. When Kshtsi looked down at his waist, what he saw took a few seconds to register. He could only stare at the tentacles coming from his waist in shock, trying to figure out what was going on.

He shifted his position again, which caused his shirt to roll up slightly, causing just a little bit of Kshtsi's upper-waist to become visible. On the left side of his waist, there was a strange black pattern on his skin, looking almost like a tattoo. But . . . Kshtsi had never gotten a tattoo before.

Wait. He had the traits of a jellyfish, being the tentacles, and he had a strange tattoo on his thigh. Did that mean . . . was Kshtsi a +Anima now? The idea of that possibility seemed absurd, but the proof was there. Was that how he had suddenly begun breathing underwater?

Okay, he had to calm down. Alright, so he was a +Anima. He could live with that. Now, how could he get the tentacles to disappear? Kshtsi was shocked when the tentacles almost immediately disappeared. While he didn't really understand how that had happened, he quickly decided he could wonder about it later. The boy and the girl were still looking at him, and they already knew he was a +Anima. Kshtsi didn't know much about +Anima, but he knew enough to know that most people didn't like them. Still, the fact that they had helped him out of the water even when it was clearly obvious that he was a +Anima . . . it meant that they either didn't care that he was a +Anima or it meant that they knew who he really was.

With a grunt Kshtsi forced himself to stand. He still felt dizzy, and his body didn't want to move much, but he was able to stay standing. As he waited for the dizziness to pass away Kshtsi looked around to try to get his bearings.

They were on a small beach that was connected to a large body of water, with the large body of water going out for farther than Kshtsi could see. It had to be the ocean. That was the only possible way Kshtsi could have gotten here. From where the water met the sand, the beach continued for about a meter onto land. There, the sand began to vanish and trees appeared, quickly turning into a thick forest about twenty meters in.

Over by the forest was a small fireplace, where the boy and the girl must have been waiting before. It wasn't anything fancy, just a circular rocky area containing some wood that was, of course, on fire. It looked like the spot where the fire was now was specifically chosen because there was _more_ than enough distance between it and the nearest tree, or even grass. But what really surprised Kshtsi was the bizarre contraption that was above the fire.

It looked like it was made from some strange white fabric. As for what it looked like, well . . . it was similar to a large bag filled with . . . well, Kshtsi couldn't see _what_ was inside of it, but there was definitely something holding it down from the inside. The bag appeared to be made out of a large square sheet of fabric. From how the bottom of the bag sagged and stretched, Kshtsi guessed whatever was inside of the bag was a liquid.

Another sheet of the strange white fabric was being used as a cover for the bag. The contraption itself was held up by four large wooden sticks which had been firmly wedged into the ground. Each corner of the 'bag' was firmly tied to one of the sticks, allowing the sticks to hold the bag above the fire. While it certainly was an interesting contraption to look at, it's only purpose seemed to be to heat up water.

Speaking of which . . . now that Kshtsi thought about it, why had they left him lying on the sand anyways? He must have been only a few feet away from the ocean when he woke up, why did they put someone who was unconscious next to the water like that? While at first he thought that was rather rude, he suddenly realized that it was high-tide at the moment. The boy and the girl probably pulled him out of the water during low-tide and dragged Kshtsi onto the beach to what they thought was a good distance from the ocean. Yeah, and when the tide started coming in, well . . . how could they have moved him farther away? He had still had the tentacles out, so it would have been too dangerous for them to move him from the spot.

Kshtsi was taken out of his thoughts when he suddenly realized the girl had walked up to him while he had been getting his bearings. While the boy was clearly giving Kshtsi a bit of space, the girl was anythingbut shy. She now stood about a foot away from Kshtsi with a smile on her face. "Hi! My name is Tachine. I'm a +Anima too!"

Kshtsi smiled at Tachine. She seemed to be an excitable person. "Hi. That's a pretty name."

He didn't expect the way Tachine blushed at his compliment, and it got his face to flush with color. He knew next to nothing about girls, so this was a new experience for him. While he tried to figure out how to continue the conversation, he was surprised as the girl's face began to change. As he soon found himself face-to-face with a fox-human hybrid, Kshtsi let himself smile. "Ah, a fox +Anima."

This was good, actually. Tachine looked like she was experienced with her +Anima form. Maybe Kshtsi could learn the ropes of being a +Anima through her. Alright, so what about the other person? Kshtsi turned his attention to the boy. During the time that Tachine had been introducing herself the boy had begun walking over to the fire. Kshtsi spoke to the boy, trying to be polite. "Hi. What's your name?"

The boy spoke without even turning to face Kshtsi. "Acyr."

While the voice was gruff, Kshtsi didn't let it get to him. He didn't know anything about their situation. Acyr probably had a reason to be frustrated. He seemed focused on the contraption above the fire, and as he removed the cover for the bag Kshtsi was shocked to see a second, smaller bag was in the middle of the larger one. Acyr almost lazily grabbed a strange pouch from somewhere underneath his shirt and put it inside of the smaller bag.

The instant he did Kshtsi heard a slight splash from inside of the bag. So it held some type of liquid? After a few more seconds Acyr grabbed the now-full pouch out from the bag. Kshtsi was surprised to see water dripping from the pouch, but it suddenly allowed him to figure out the object's purpose. It was a water purifier!

Acyr would put a bit of ocean water in the larger bag before putting on the cover to the contraption and lighting the fire. The water would eventually begin to evaporate, but was stopped by the cover from leaving the contraption. As it eventually re-condensed, some of the water would fall into the smaller bag. Because the salt didn't evaporate with the water, the smaller bag would always hold pure water that Acyr could then drink at his leisure. Of course, the water purification process would obviously take some time. Kshtsi didn't know how much time in total, but it only made sense it would take a while.

Kshtsi was taken out of his thoughts when Tachine asked for Kshtsi's name. While it was a question that Kshtsi had been expecting, he was still nervous about what would happen if they recognized it. But he couldn't find a way around it. "My name is Kshtsi"

While the name certainly got a reaction from the two of them, Kshtsi was relieved when he realized they didn't recognize it. Indeed, while Tachine stated that she liked the name, Acyr raised one of his eyebrows with an amused grin on his face. "I just _heard_ you say that yet I don't have _any_ idea how to pronounce it."

While Kshtsi laughed at the comment, both he and Acyr were startled when Tachine gave Acyr a fierce glare. "It's not like I've ever heard _your_ name before today, Acyr! Some parents are more creative when it comes to choosing names for their children, _deal with it!_"

Kshtsi found the outburst interesting for two reasons. One, it proved that Tachine had no idea who Kshtsi was. Two, Kshtsi now knew that Acyr and Tachine weren't all that well acquainted. Tachine had only learned Acyr's name today, and Acyr clearly hadn't expected the reprimanding.

Indeed, the look Acyr was giving Tachine only proved that he was irritated about being lectured. While he opened his mouth to retort, Kshtsi quickly forced his way into the conversation. "I'm not offended at all. I understand that it's difficult to pronounce my name, it's no big deal."

While Tachine didn't look all that convinced, Kshtsi didn't give her a chance to speak. Instead he addressed Acyr. "My name is two syllables. The first one, Ksh, rhymes with 'Fish' while 'tsi' sounds almost exactly like 'tie'."

Acyr immediately attempted to pronounce Kshtsi's name using this information, and Kshtsi smiled when Acyr nailed it on the first attempt. "Yeah, that's it."

Kshtsi was surprised when Acyr grinned wider. "Although I guess I can't speak. My name's not-"

"Then _don't_"

Kshtsi and Acyr immediately turned to face Tachine. She gave a slight glare towards Acyr, but to Kshtsi's shock Tachine then turned to face Kshtsi with a smile on her face. "So, where are you-"

As she started to speak, Kshtsi noticed that Acyr's expression almost turned _murderous_. Before Tachine could get past the fourth word, both she and Kshtsi flinched when Acyr cut into the conversation. "I almost regret intervening to save your life, _Tachine_."

Both Tachine and Kshtsi immediately turned to face Acyr. But he wasn't done yet. "Ever since we saw Kshtsi, you have practically ignored me! I haven't gotten so much as a _thank you_ for me tending to the sting you got when _you_ decided that a bee sting and a _box jellyfish_ sting could actually be _compared_ to each other in terms of pain! I even _warned_ you and you completely ignored the warning! It's like I don't even _exist_! What _exactly_ did I do that has you so pissed off at me?"

While Tachine clearly hadn't expected the outburst from Acyr, it wasn't long before she gave her response. "What does that contraption of yours do?"

Acyr was clearly put off by the question, but he soon responded that it was, as Kshtsi had already guessed, a water purifier. Tachine next pointed towards the forest. "When you went to get me water, you probably went in this direction. Isn't it a bizarre coincidence that _after_ you're over here - where there's a _perfect_ view of the ocean right over there - Kshtsi got caught in _your_ trap? You took at least an _hour_ to get the water! And what was the first thing you said when you say him? You noted that he was _breathing_, even though he was over _fifty feet_ away from us _and_ face-down in the water! How the _hell_ could you have seen that from just _glancing _at his body from that far away?"

Kshtsi felt like he had been struck by lightning. While he didn't know more than what she said, it certainly sounded bizarre. It was almost impossible to make out that specific of a detail about someone from that far away. But he didn't have long to think about it.

While the accusation Tachine made was certainly harsh, Kshtsi was not prepared for Acyr's reaction. Acyr practically _screamed_ at a clearly startled Tachine. "_HOW **DARE** YOU!?_ Are you suggesting that I would just _ignore_ a body floating in the water while I was purifying water? _He wasn't **there** when I was purifying water!_ I would have pulled him out _immediately _if I had seen him there! I wouldn't just leave someone out there to die! In fact I'm _still_ trying to figure out how the **_hell _**he got caught in the trap! My only _plausible_ guess so far is that he was adrift at sea and just managed to get snared!"

Kshtsi almost felt bad for Tachine. She even blushed as she tried to apologize, but Acyr didn't give her a chance to speak. "And by the way, I find it very _ironic_ that _you _would think I was a heartless bastard. After all, **_I SAVED YOUR LIFE!_** I gave you water when you were thirsty, and I even tended to your injury when you got hurt! Indeed, I've been doing _so_ much to help you out that I haven't even managed to find the time to start taking down my traps yet and _just look at the sky!_ It's _night time_! I have less than twelve hours to take down the traps before morning! As we agreed on, we're leaving _in the morning!_ Even if I somehow take down all of my traps in that time then I am going to be _exhausted!_ And now, on _top_ of everything I have to do, I learn that the person I have saved, given water, and even given medical treatment to actually thinks I'm _heartless? How** DARE **you!?_"

Acyr finally stopped his rant there, and Kshtsi almost worried for Tachine's safety. The rage etched into Acyr's face showed that he may have been angry enough to get physical. Tachine was blushing furiously as she tried to stammer out an apology. However, Kshtsi almost sighed in relief when Acyr abruptly turned around and started walking towards the trees. "Either way, I need to start dismantling my traps. I'll be back in the morning."

Kshtsi was surprised when Tachine almost immediately spoke up. "If you want help with that, I'm feeling alright enough."

Acyr abruptly froze in place for a few seconds. However, he soon spoke up again, this time with a much calmer and controlled voice. "No. I appreciate the offer, but no. I uh . . . you should talk to Kshtsi. If he wants to be a traveling partner, well . . . it's your choice."

Without another word Acyr walked into the forest and out of sight. At first Kshtsi could only stare at where Acyr had gone in shock. He couldn't believe the drastic change in personality Acyr had shown with the last comment.

But eventually Tachine spoke to Kshtsi. She herself seemed a bit unsettled, but she was able to keep her voice steady as she asked Kshtsi if he wanted to go with them. While Kshtsi said he would, he also asked a question of his own. "Was it just me, or is Acyr a bit . . . you know, unstable?"

Tachine cocked her head, which Kshtsi guessed meant that she hadn't really noticed. As such he decided to elaborate. "His mood changed very abruptly a few times. While I can understand that he doesn't like being accused of something, it almost seemed . . . the argument he gave was a bit harsh to you. But when you offered to help, he immediately calmed down. I don't mean to be suspicious, but there's something off with what he was saying. If he's so pissed off, why does he still want to travel with you? I . . . did Acyr mention having to go and undo his 'traps' while he was tending to the sting you got?"

Kshtsi was only more confused when Tachine nodded. "Well, he kept complaining about it, but . . . every time I told him I was fine and that he didn't have to worry, he'd mention a reason why he had to stay. I just . . . sorry, I didn't expect him to snap like that. When I first met him a few hours ago, he was so calm and unshakable. I didn't know it was _possible_ to get him that mad. But I . . . I guess I shouldn't have accused him of deliberately catching you in the trap. After all, he had been so horrified when we found you caught in his fishing trap."

Ah, was that it? Maybe Acyr's temper was caused because he was still shaken about that. Kshtsi would have been a bit unsettled too if he thought someone had died because of his actions. While Tachine was clearly blaming herself for Acyr's anger, Kshtsi assured her that Acyr had just been trying to vent out some of his own frustration that he could have gotten someone killed.

Eventually Kshtsi got to ask why Acyr was undoing his traps. Tachine soon explained how she and Acyr had been planning on leaving the forest in the morning, although Tachine also admitted that she'd be lenient with what time they left, because Acyr apparently had a _lot_ of traps he had set up. Kshtsi thought that was a good idea, and soon he asked where the two of them were planning on traveling to. He couldn't have been happier with the answer that they didn't have a specific spot they wanted to go. This would be an excellent opportunity for him to learn the ropes of being a +Anima.

He was surprised when Tachine again asked if Kshtsi wanted to come with, but he accepted none the less. While the two of them spoke a bit more, it was mainly about provisions they would need. The only real thing Kshtsi learned was that the next village wasn't far from the forest, so they'd probably reach it in just a few hours. But eventually they put out the fire (Tachine explaining that Acyr had already filled up enough pouches with water, so they didn't need to purify any more water) and went to sleep.

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><p>Update:925/2012

Alright, this is the new and improved (hopefully) chapter two! Any comments made before this date are referring to the old chapter two.


	3. Change of Heart

Sorry about this chapter being short. I couldn't really embellish on it much, although I may try to at a later time.

Update: 10/16/2012

It's a later time now :)

Completely rewritten to be longer and better-written, let me know if you agree that this is 100 times better.

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><p>Tachine awoke at the crack of dawn. Or, to more accurately describe what happened, she <em>got up<em> at the crack of dawn. Between the guilt she felt for her actions with Acyr and the pain caused by her hand, she had barely gotten any sleep. Still, she smiled as she rubbed her bandaged hand. Just as Acyr had predicted, her hand didn't hurt anymore.

Tachine soon looked around, and was surprised to find that the ocean was much farther away than it had been last night. It had been Acyr that had explained 'tides' to Tachine, although he had failed to predict just how much the ocean's height varied between tides.

Now that she had Acyr on her mind again, Tachine felt a tinge of guilt. She hadn't meant to rile him up like she had last night. She had just been getting sick of Acyr constantly reminding her of how he had told her _not_ to touch the tentacle. Did he know how _irritating_ it was for Tachine to have to listen to someone three years younger than her actually _lecture_ her? And . . . no, she had to stop trying to pin the blame on Acyr. She had already made the mistake. The important thing for her to do would be to apologize to Acyr for her actions.

With that in mind Tachine looked around the area Acyr had left them, trying to figure out where he was. It was only when she couldn't find him that she grew worried. Kshtsi was there, lying on the other side of the 'water-purifier' thing that Acyr had made, but there was no Acyr. Had he actually decided to take down _all_ of his traps? Wherever he was, he must have been _exhausted._

It wasn't long before Kshtsi awoke, and Tachine happily greeted him as he got to his feet. The two of them talked for a little bit as they waited for Acyr to come back, but as the time slowly ticked by Tachine soon heard a voice in her head nagging her that Acyr should have came back by now. While she tried to ignore it, minutes turned into what felt like hours as the sun slowly rose into the sky, and they neither heard nor saw any sign of Acyr. It wasn't just her that was getting worried though. She could see the concern in Kshtsi's blue eyes as well.

Eventually Tachine brought up the idea of looking for Acyr. While Kshtsi immediately mentioned the fact that he had no idea where he was, and Tachine admitted that she didn't know this forest much at all, both of them soon tried to come up with a way to safely navigate the forest without fear of getting lost. Just as Tachine mentioned the idea of leaving a trail behind them that they could follow back to this area if they thought they were going too far, both of them heard something moving around in the forest and heading their way.

Both Tachine and Kshtsi flinched as Acyr finally stumbled into the clearing. Tachine didn't even need to ask whether Acyr had gotten any sleep. The enormous circles under Acyr's eyes told her that he had been up all night, and Acyr only gave her more proof when he fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Because of how large his shirt was, this made his shirt entirely cover Acyr's body from the neck down, not only making him look even _shorter_ than it normally did, but even hiding the fact that he was kneeling. Tachine almost had to force herself not to laugh at Acyr. The shirt looked more like a _dress_ when he was like this!

Fortunately she was able to keep herself from laughing. While she and Kshtsi kindly greeted Acyr, Tachine was in for a surprise when she offered to wait for a few hours to let Acyr get _some_ sleep. Acyr finally spoke, and he kindly refused to stop for sleep. Instead, he asked if Kshtsi was planning on coming with them. When Kshtsi confirmed it, Acyr forced himself back to his feet and gave them a tired smile. "Then what are we waiting for?"

With that Acyr turned around and reached into the forest, letting out a large _huff_ as he pulled a large white bag into view. Tachine couldn't believe it. Acyr had _already_ packed? He hadn't seemed all that thrilled to be going last night, although he had never stated that he didn't want to go. When Tachine tried to push the fact that Acyr needed sleep, she was further confused when Acyr adamantly refused to do so.

She realized something was strange about it. If she were to explain it . . . the sheer variety in emotions that she had seen in Acyr so far and the . . . _intensity_ of said emotions was quite extreme. While he was tired, Acyr wasn't letting the smile currently on his face falter. But he was also quite determined to get moving _now_.

Eventually Tachine gave up on figuring Acyr out. What really mattered right now was that Acyr was in a good mood, and she didn't feel like forcing him to get some sleep before they got moving was going to keep him in that good mood. Tachine and Kshtsi soon got their own packs ready as an impatient Acyr waited, and it wasn't long before Acyr was leading both Tachine and Kshtsi out of the forest.

Even now, it was clear that Acyr was excited. He wouldn't go at a normal walking pace, which forced both Tachine and Kshtsi to pick up their pace to keep up with Acyr. Still Acyr was a good distance in front of the two of them when Kshtsi suddenly tapped Tachine on the arm. She looked at him, but wasn't too surprised when Kshtsi nodded over to Acyr. He spoke quietly, too quietly for Acyr to be able to hear. "I don't like this."

Tachine asked him what he meant, speaking in a whisper so Acyr couldn't hear. "What?"

She watched as Kshtsi nodded towards Acyr again. "Why does his personality keep on changing? It's just . . . he's so unpredictable. Did something happen while he was putting away his traps?"

Tachine flinched, but she thought about it. _Could_ something have happened? While she had to admit she was also curious to Acyr's 'new' personality, she couldn't think of what could possibly have happened to make Acyr as excited as he was.

"Just so the two of you know, I _can_ hear you."

Both Tachine and Kshtsi flinched before they looked back towards Acyr. Tachine blushed when she saw that Acyr was looking back at them, although he hadn't stopped walking. Indeed, he was now walking backwards down the path with his body facing towards both Tachine and Kshtsi. There was a smile on Acyr's face as he addressed the two of them.

"If you absolutely _must_ know, it's a combination of two different events. First and foremost, well . . . I know I was kind of an ass last night, and I really shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I guess you could say this is my way of trying to lessen the tension, if you will. Secondly"

Tachine was surprised when Acyr blushed slightly, soon raising his right arm and scratching the back of his head. "I've been in the forest for a long time. While the forest _is_ a nice place to be, it gets boring after a bit. I guess I'm a little excited about finally leaving the forest. So yes, I'm a bit more excited than I normally am. I"

"But why?"

Both Acyr and Tachine flinched, but Kshtsi spoke up, sounding confused. "The village is only a few hour walk from the forest, from what I understand. There was nothing forcing you to stay away from the village. Why wait so long to go there if you wanted to?"

Tachine wasn't certain, but she thought she saw a bit of alarm in Acyr's eyes. If it _had_ been there, then it didn't last for more than a second. When Acyr spoke next Tachine noticed that the small blush Acyr originally had now covered almost his entire face.

"I uh . . . I'm not much of a . . . you know, a people-person. So Kshtsi, something's been bugging me since yesterday. How the _hell_ did you end up in my trap? I just . . . it seems like a weird place to go swimming."

As Tachine flinched, she saw Kshtsi blush out of the corner of her eye. While she was going to tell Acyr to mind his own business, Kshtsi gave his response before Tachine could snap at Acyr. "It's a long story."

Tachine was both startled and annoyed when Acyr raised an eyebrow towards Kshtsi. Eventually though, Acyr shrugged and simply turned around to face their destination. It may have only taken a few more minutes to get to the village after he had said that, but during that time Tachine noticed that Kshtsi seemed to be deep in thought.

Tachine spent that time trying to figure out why Acyr had said that. While the question itself had been rather innocent, the tone of voice Acyr had used had a harsh edge to it. It had almost sounded like an attack instead of a question. Still . . . no, this was the same mistake Tachine had made earlier. She didn't want to accuse Acyr of something unless she knew for _certain_ something was off.

Tachine almost forgot about the incident when the village came into sight. She immediately grinned when she saw Acyr getting excited again, although she noticed that Kshtsi was frowning at Acyr. Still, Acyr either didn't notice Kshtsi's gaze or else he just didn't care. He almost got Tachine to laugh when he almost raced into the village, but Tachine quickly told him to come back. Once he did, albeit very impatiently, Tachine grabbed out the bag of gold she had stolen yesterday. "Alright, this is how we're going to do this. Everyone gets fifty gillah to use as they please. Do what you want to do, but after a few hours we meet on the other side of the city. Sound fair?"

Both Acyr and Kshtsi agreed, so Tachine grabbed out a large handful of gillah and quickly counted through them. " . . . 47, 48, 49, 50. Alright, here's fifty for Kshtsi"

With that she handed those fifty to Kshtsi, then counted out fifty for Acyr. Both she and Kshtsi were startled when Acyr sprinted for the city almost the instant he put the coins in one of his pockets. While Tachine simply laughed at Acyr's eagerness, she was surprised when Kshtsi announced that he was going to follow Acyr. He then walked towards the village, and Tachine cringed. While, there went chatting with Kshtsi all day. Hmm, what could Tachine do to pass the time . . .

She eventually found her answer when she herself reached the village. She grinned as she picked her target. It was a man who had a very large bag of gold hanging from his waist, almost _daring_ someone to try to steal it. Well, Tachine was never one to back down from a challenge. But she'd have to bide her time, there were too many people around at the moment. She'd wait until she was somewhere that would have a clear escape route.

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><p>Kshtsi and Tachine have noticed a change in the personality Acyr is showing, and though Tachine is just brushing it off Kshtsi wants to get to the bottom of it. Will Kshtsi succeed? Will Acyr's secret be revealed? What IS his secret? Find out in the next chapter!<p>

Update: 3/9/12

Thanks for the reviews Death101! For those confused about her review for chapter 3, THAT chapter 3 has now been deleted, making THIS one the new chapter 3


	4. A Helping Hand

Next chapter's good to go! Enjoy!

11/15/12

Well, this one grew quite a bit. The new and improved Chapter 4 is ready to go!

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><p>The boy named Zacyr waited until he was out of Tachine and Kshtsi's sights before he let himself smile. He knew he had done a <em>very<em> poor job of hiding his excitement, but it had been the best he could do.

Alright, so the first thing he had to do was locate the alchemist building. Let's see, what had that man said? Let's see, that was the main entrance . . . so six buildings down to the area with buildings with words on them. Poor Zacyr felt himself blush as he looked at the words on the buildings. While they would have made it so much easier to locate the right store, the letters meant nothing to him. He couldn't read.

Fortunately, the man had been kind enough to give Zacyr directions. Indeed, he had done a lot for Zacyr. That also worried Zacyr, considering how Zacyr was the one who had stopped the man from getting his bag of gold back from Tachine. For all he knew, this could be a trap from the man as payback. So while he _did_ follow the directions he was given, he stayed alert to the area around him.

It took him a small amount of time to fully follow the directions, although he had to admit it would have gone faster if he hadn't been a complete idiot and turned right where he had been told to turn left. Still, when he saw the supposed 'alchemist's shop', he found himself very suspicious of what the man had said.

The shop was clearly part of a house, or at least what had once been a house. It also was obviously a shop, as there was writing above the doorway. But it still made Zacyr nervous. The house itself reminded Zacyr of houses he had heard about in fairy tales, specifically a house that a witch would live in. It was clearly an old house, and was about ready to fall apart. While it was clearly occupied, as evidenced by the fact that several parts of the house had new wood repairing holes left by the decaying wood, it just didn't look all that inviting.

But as Zacyr looked down at his shirt, he felt his resolve strengthen at the sight of at least seven mice scurrying across his shirt. He almost lazily put a hand directly in the path of one of the mice, and only sighed when the mouse passed through his hand like it wasn't even there.

Of course, for other people the idea that they had seven ghostly mice climbing all over their body would probably have caused them to break out in hysterics. However, Zacyr knew better. These were not spirits of mice that had long since died. He also was not surprised to find no one around him was reacting to the mice. That was because only Zacyr could see them, because they didn't truly exist.

He may not have remembered much about his past, but Zacyr certainly remembered his condition. He was almost constantly hallucinating, seeing things that didn't exist except for in his field of vision. That was the sole driving factor behind him coming here, and while he knew now just from seeing the shop that this was going to get interesting, he _needed_ to do this. He was already losing his grip on reality, and if he could find something that could stop these hallucinations, well . . . he _needed_ to do this. His sanity _depended_ on it.

As such Zacyr walked up to the door of the shop. He cringed when he saw a small sign hanging from the doorknob via some string. It was one of those 'open/closed' signs, designed with the word 'open' on one side and 'closed' on the other. While it made it much easier for most people to tell if the shop was open or not, it was still a challenge for Zacyr, who as noted before, couldn't read.

However, he _could_ spell. Zacyr knew that the word 'open' was shorter than the word 'closed'. All he'd have to do was lightly move the sign, look to see which side had more glyphs on it, and then let it rest _exactly_ the same way he found it. With that in mind Zacyr reached for the sign. To his surprise, he saw the doorknob quickly turn just as his hand reached the half-way point between himself and the sign. His hand froze, and Zacyr immediately looked up as the door swung open inwards.

The instant Zacyr saw the person on the other side of the door, his first thought was 'witch'. Oh, it wasn't some creepy, old, wart-covered green-skinned demonic figure on the other side. Indeed, the girl looked to be near Zacyr's age. She had kind blue eyes, and quite a pretty face that was clear of any blemishes. However the tall, pointed, and black hat she wore combined with the pure-black robes almost seemed to hammer Zacyr with evidence to the contrary.

Adding to her appearance was a large eye that was directly above her normal pair. That eye wasn't a human eye, instead resembling a cat's eye with a black sclera and a white iris. But of course Zacyr didn't fall for it. He simply looked downwards so the eye was outside of his field of vision before again looking at the girl. Just like it usually did, that got rid of the illusionary demonic eye.

Of course, he saw all of this in less than a second. The girl smiled at Zacyr, and wasted no time in greeting him. "You must be Zacyr! I foresaw your arrival in my crystal ball. Now if I'm not mistaken, you are here to find a cure to your extra-dimensional visual overlay condition?"

Zacyr could only open his mouth dumbly in shock. How . . . how did she know his name? And while he wouldn't have called his hallucinations an 'extra-dimensional visual overlay condition', it was close enough to the right thing that he couldn't exactly rule it out. While he tried to speak, all he could get out was a 'how?'

Fortunately for him, the girl burst out laughing before she walked out of the building. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. See, my room's on the second floor. I've got a crystal ball in there, and I saw your reflection on it while you were walking towards the door."

Wait. But if that part was a joke . . . "How do you know my name?"

The girl laughed again, this time putting a gentle hand on Zacyr's shoulder. "Last night we got a visit from a kid who's around 19. He mentioned that today we were probably going to get a visitor named Zacyr. He also explained that you're illiterate, so if we saw you on the street then you probably needed help to find which store to go to."

Zacyr almost immediately flinched at that. "He actually . . . I-I didn't expect him to do that. So he also told you of my . . . condition?"

He was surprised when the girl gently rubbed Zacyr's shoulder and gave him a sad smile. "Yes, he told us about how you see things that aren't actually there. He also mentioned that you seem to be a bit of a masochist."

Now _that_ got Zacyr to blush. "Oh for crying out loud I . . . sorry, it's a joke."

The girl smiled at Zacyr before nodding. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, I have to let my grandmother know you're here. I'll be back soon."

With that the girl walked back to the shop and entered, lightly closing the door. It didn't seem to be an intention to keep Zacyr from entering. It looked more like she just had a habit of closing doors behind her. While Zacyr failed to see why he had to wait outside, he wasn't going to tell her how to do her job. There must have been a reason.

"Interesting."

It felt like Zacyr had been struck with a bolt of lightning. That had come from behind him, and while he hadn't heard that voice too often . . . he quickly turned around and paled when his fear was confirmed.

"**_Kshtsi!?_**"

The blue-haired boy had a frown on his face as he looked at Zacyr. Zacyr felt quite intimidated by the blue eyes that were drilling a hole into Zacyr's eye-sockets. While Zacyr tried to find an excuse to be standing in front of the alchemist's shop, he could only cringe when Kshtsi shook his head.

"The _real_ reason you wanted to come here is so you can get medicine for hallucinations? I don't understand, did you eat the wrong plant or something last night?"

So he had heard a bit of the conversation then? While Zacyr was trying to recover from his shock, he did manage to get out a reply. "No, of course not! I know what berries and roots are safe to eat. I . . ."

Zacyr tried to find a way to hide it, how could . . . no. No, there was no way out of it. He sighed before he powered through what he needed to say. "I see hallucinations almost all the time, alright? It has nothing to do with what I eat, and I sure as hell don't smoke or drink anything to cause it. I just . . . it's a condition I was born with."

Almost the instant Zacyr said that, he noticed Kshtsi's shirt was rustling. Kshtsi didn't react at all when what must have been forty white mice emerged from Kshtsi's shirt. Zacyr obviously didn't react either. He knew quite well that this was a hallucination. What was more, this had to be the absolute most common hallucination Zacyr saw. Still, he found it very ironic when Kshtsi asked him just how bad it was.

Zacyr took a big breath before he responded. "They're perfect replicas of living things, as far as my sight is concerned. Right now, it looks to me like there are forty mice crawling over your clothing."

He could only grin when Kshtsi looked down at his shirt, obviously attempting to imagine what Zacyr was seeing. Zacyr sighed as he continued. "It has to be the most common one I see. There are some other common ones, among them being demonic eyes that will grow on just about _anything_, but overall I could see just about anything. Sometimes they're so realistic that it takes me a tiny bit before I realize it's a hallucination, but . . . look, what does it matter to you? So you learned my secret, _big deal_. They're no threat to you."

While Zacyr felt confident that Kshtsi would go bug someone else, he noticed that Kshtsi instead went into thought. It only lasted for a few seconds, but Zacyr grew _very_ alarmed when Kshtsi's eyes suddenly opened wide, and he looked at Zacyr in what was clearly shock. "Zacyr . . . from what Tachine told me, you freaked out when you saw me floating in your trap. And even though you were a good distance away, you asked how I could breathe underwater. And last night when she called you out on it, you got extremely defensive about that. What-"

"**_I didn't KNOW!_**"

Zacyr felt the words ripped out of his mouth with such force that it actually _hurt_. Kshtsi flinched, but Zacyr was too lost in his thoughts to notice that. He felt the same extreme guilt he had felt last night come back as he almost pleaded with Kshtsi to understand. "One of my most efficient ways of telling illusion from reality is to see if it makes sense! If I see something do something it shouldn't be capable of doing, it's usually a dead giveaway that it's not real! It's never backfired on me like that before! I-I wouldn't have-"

While he was certainly willing to go on, Kshtsi got him by surprise when he covered Zacyr's mouth with his hand. "_Hey, whoa **whoa!**_ Calm _down_, are you trying to tell the entire _village?_ Now, what the _hell_ does this have to do with that incident?"

Zacyr couldn't help it. He tried to stop it, but as he saw Kshtsi flinch Zacyr felt the tears begin to flow. Kshtsi almost immediately took his hand away, and while it was hard for Zacyr to keep from shouting, he gave his confession. "I-I saw you in my trap while I was getting water for Tachine. I . . . I saw you were breathing, even though you were floating face-down in the water. So I thought . . ."

Zacyr cringed when he realized Kshtsi understood. Kshtsi cocked his head, looking at Zacyr as if he had never seen Zacyr before. "You mean . . . I actually _had_ been there before, and you mistook me for a hallucination?"

Zacyr nodded. The tears wouldn't stop now. He was still very shaken by the incident."I-I've never mistaken something real for a hallucination before. It was only when I saw the trap _had_ been sprung that I started to get worried. But . . . but I kept trying to tell myself that it must have gotten sprung after I left and that I was just . . . I mean, I _had_ noticed that the hallucination had never disappeared, but I get some stronger hallucinations like that every now and then. When we got to the trap, I . . . I couldn't believe it. I-I couldn't believe you were still there. I-I felt so . . ."

Zacyr trailed off as he looked away from Kshtsi. However, by this time Kshtsi managed to compose himself. "I just . . . I can't say that I would have done any better. But Zacyr . . . doesn't that _prove_ that your hallucinations can still get the best of you? I don't want to start anything, but . . . it seems to me that you had _no_ intention whatsoever to tell us about this."

The observation got Zacyr to flinch. "What? Of _course_ I wasn't going to! I'm the one that sees them, not you! They are _my_ problem, not yours! What, do you-"

This time Zacyr was surprised when Kshtsi went on the offensive. Kshtsi's voice had a harsh edge to it as he interrupted Zacyr. "_Your_ problem? What if I _hadn't_ been able to breathe underwater? A drowning, unconscious person floating face-down in the water seems pretty sketchy to me. What if you had written me off as a hallucination in _that_ scenario? Whose problem would it be then?"

Kshtsi got him. Zacyr found himself unable to make eye-contact with Kshtsi, and while he tried to stammer out his excuse - that he _wouldn't_ have written him off as a hallucination - even Zacyr didn't believe that. For what must have been half a minute, Zacyr simply stood there, not saying a word.

"Look, Zacyr."

Zacyr finally managed to look Kshtsi in the eye, and was surprised to find pity in them. Kshtsi continued to speak, now with a soothing and gentle voice. "You are right about one thing. _You_ see them. I guess . . . I mean, I _certainly_ can see why you don't want to tell anyone. And I myself don't have your condition, so I can only make guesses at what this kind of problem does to a person's mind. I just . . . I won't tell Tachine about this, but . . . I really think that _you_ should."

Zacyr gulped, but while he tried to look Kshtsi in the eye he couldn't get himself to. He settled for looking at Kshtsi's shirt, it was the closest he could get to looking him in the eye. "I know, but . . . but it's my own secret, isn't it? I mean, _everyone_ has their secrets. I-I thought that, since I was going to come over here, it didn't really matter. It's just like that guy told me last night."

At this, Zacyr forced himself to look Kshtsi in the eye. "Once I get some sort of medicine for it, then I no longer will have to deal with them. That means that you wouldn't have had to know."

Kshtsi got Zacyr to grin when he flinched. "'That guy'?"

There was no point in hiding it anymore. Zacyr sighed before he explained how he had walked over to his 'web' after he had left their sights, and how he had started crying as he leaned his head against the tree. After almost an hour of him having been lost in his thoughts, he had suddenly heard a voice behind him, and turned to find the same man he had saved Tachine from.

He explained that while the man had out a weapon, Zacyr had made no move to defend himself, and he eventually noticed with surprise that the man was making no move towards Zacyr. The man had actually asked Zacyr to sit down and tell him what happened, which Zacyr had done. After listening fully to Zacyr's complete explanation, as well as Zacyr's fear about making a scene in a village because of a hallucination, the man had deeply startled Zacyr when he had told Zacyr about the possibility that an alchemist may have a potion capable of curing his condition. Zacyr finished up the explanation by telling Kshtsi how the man had actually given Zacyr directions to the alchemist in the nearest village.

For the most part, Kshtsi had listened to the explanation patiently. There was an interruption here and there, but the main thing he did was just listen to Zacyr. Once Zacyr reached the end of his explanation, Kshtsi gave him a slight smile. "I see. So all that's left now is to enter the shop and buy the potion."

Zacyr smiled as he nodded, and almost the instant he did the two of them heard a door creaking its way open. By this time Zacyr had almost forgotten about the girl in the witch's outfit. So when he saw her again, it actually took him a few seconds to remember that she had told him to wait so she could alert her grandmother. Did it really take all that time?

Indeed, as the girl stated that her grandmother was ready, Zacyr found a slight smile coming to his face. Now that he thought about it, if Kshtsi had been standing behind him while Zacyr had been talking to the girl and the girl had been in front of Zacyr and looking right at him, there was almost no way she couldn't have seen Kshtsi. Had she deliberately left the two of them alone so they could speak to each other without interruption?

Still, all Zacyr did was walk over to the door with a smile on his face. The girl smiled back at him, and told her to follow him into the store. But Zacyr was startled when Kshtsi asked for Zacyr to wait just a moment. When Zacyr looked at Kshtsi, he flinched when he saw a slight blush on Kshtsi's face. "I've heard that potions, in exchange for their usefulness and versatility, tend to be expensive. I don't know how expensive, but . . . I guess I'm asking the wrong person."

With that, Kshtsi focused his attention on the girl in the doorway. "How expensive can potions get?"

Zacyr turned to face the girl. She gave the two of them a sympathetic smile before she gave her answer. "You've heard correctly. Well, to answer your question, we have a few potions that are virtually untouchable by commoners. For just looking for a working potion, I suppose somewhere around eighty to a hundred gillah would be a minimum amount to ensure you can buy _something_."

Oh.

Poor Zacyr could only blush as the reality of the situation hit him full force. How did he not think about that!? Of _course_ it would cost him gillah, that was a _very_ important factor and he just . . . all Zacyr could do was lamely state that all he had was fifty. He was expecting the girl to respond, but before she could Zacyr was surprised when Kshtsi quickly spoke up.

"Incorrect, you have 100 gillah available."

Zacyr immediately looked at Kshtsi in confusion. He was about to ask Kshtsi what he meant when it suddenly clicked, and Zacyr could only stare at Kshtsi in shock. "You mean . . . you would . . ."

Kshtsi smiled at Zacyr, which made the answer immediately obvious. However, Kshtsi still confirmed it vocally. "I'll give you some of my share if you need it."

With that Kshtsi walked up to Zacyr, who couldn't help the slight blush that appeared on his face. "I . . . thank you."

With that the two of them followed the girl into the house. As they did, Zacyr thought about Kshtsi. He hadn't known what to think of him before, but now . . . at least now he knew he could trust Kshtsi.

Still, when the girl stopped walking and Zacyr looked around, he almost forgot about Kshtsi. The room that they were now in must have once been a living room, although it no longer fit that purpose all that well. The large room now had a large wooden counter that cut off most of the room from visitors, and clearly was where all the business was done.

However, that wasn't the first thing Zacyr noticed. What he noticed first was the walls on the other side of that counter. There were shelves that ran along the entire length of each wall. Well, the best way to say it would be that there were a _lot_ of shelves that were attached to those walls. Each one of those shelves were completely covered with vials, and Zacyr was amazed to see the sheer _variety_ of potions. Almost all of the vials had a different liquid in them.

This room was clearly their entire store. There was even a fireplace on the wall farthest from Zacyr, which was currently lit. Hanging above that fire was a large cauldron. He couldn't see what was in the cauldron at the moment though. There was someone standing in front of it, stirring the contents with a large wooden spoon.

Zacyr quickly realized it was an old woman, and he had heard the girl state that she lived with her grandmother, so the woman tending to the cauldron was likely the girl's grandmother. She was a thin old woman that was clearly reaching the end of her lifespan.

Now Zacyr had already seen the young girl's choice of clothing, and how it made her resemble a witch. It was clear that the woman standing in front of the cauldron did not follow this prank, as she wore clothes that could be seen on just about anyone, a simple green t-shirt and blue denim pants. But . . . She didn't _need_ to dress up to look like a witch. She had a hunchbacked appearance and wrinkly skin. Her hair looked more like white straw than actual hair.

At the moment her attention was on the cauldron, and she continued stirring it for a few seconds. Once the young girl got her grandmother's attention, the old lady turned to face the counter, and gave a startled Zacyr a smile that showcased every one of her teeth. Zacyr was surprised by the good condition of the ten teeth that the woman had left.

"Well, well. What a surprise Elerad. So that blue-haired boy must be Zacyr?"

As the old woman spoke, Zacyr noticed the young girl vaulting herself over the counter to get to the other side. Almost the instant her grandmother got done speaking, the girl tapped her grandmother on the shoulder. "No, no. The one you're calling Elerad is Zacyr."

The old woman looked at Zacyr again, and squinted. "Hmm? Oh, I apologize. You look like someone I met a long time ago."

While Zacyr sighed in relief, the girl unexpectedly rubbed her grandmother's shoulder. "_Anyways_, should we get to business?"

"Now that I think about it, that was before you were born, Grendel."

The girl sighed as she shook her head. "Grandma-"

"Yeah, Elerad was _that_ close to becoming your father, Grendel. He probably would have made a better father than that drunken bastard that your mother eventually met."

The girl sighed again before she addressed Zacyr and Kshtsi. "Sorry, she's a bit senile. _Grandma._"

"Oh, but my daughter turned him away. I still can't tell what made her do that, Elerad was a fine young boy with such a flair for -"

"**_GRANDMA!_**"

This time the old woman flinched before looking at her granddaughter. "There's no need to shout Grendel. That's unbecoming of a fine young lady such as yourself. Probably got that from your f-"

It was clear the girl had had enough. She cut into her grandmother's lecture with a harsh edge in her voice. "We have a customer _waiting_ for you. This is not the time to get lost in your memories! And for the final time, _there was nothing wrong with dad!_"

Zacyr gave a slight grin towards Kshtsi as the old woman sighed. "Yes to the first, no to the last one. Anyways, aren't _you_ supposed to start this one? We already know what he's looking for, so what we want to do _is . . ._"

The young girl abruptly blushed at her grandmother, giving an abrupt 'oh!' "I uh, of course I knew that! The only-"

"So _why_, pray tell, are you not doing it? I can hardly say my rambling is _that_ interesting that it distracts you from your job now, can I?"

Zacyr couldn't help the small grin that came to his face. This was kind of amusing to witness. The young girl raced into an adjacent room, still blushing a bit. Almost the instant she was out of sight her grandmother subtly winked at a startled Zacyr. "I apologize. I'm not going to be around forever, and someone has to keep the family business alive. Since my daughter refuses to have any part in it - not that I'm bitter or going to come back and haunt her for abandoning the family business - that job will fall to my granddaughter."

Zacyr couldn't help the grin that came to his face. "Ah, teaching the family trade."

He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason that sounded familiar. It also made him wonder about whether the grandmother's 'babbling' before was actually intended. The grandmother nodded, giving a smile that again showed all ten of her remaining teeth in one go. "That is correct, Zacyr. She's still new to the alchemist business. While I try to have her work with the customers, she tends to think it's _my_ job."

Zacyr smiled at that. He had figured that out already, but it was nice to have a confirmation. Before the conversation could go any further, the girl appeared with something that made Zacyr cringe.

It was a big book. The cover on it was falling apart, but Zacyr could see a few glyphs on it to give the book what was likely a title. Of course, Zacyr had no idea what the title could have been. And that was also part of the reason he was so nervous. He couldn't read. Still, the book was _huge_. Not only was the book at least twice as wide as Zacyr's head, it was so thick . . . there had to be over a thousand pages in the book!

Of course, a book of that size didn't look easy to carry. A better way to say it was that Grendel was more dragging it across the floor over to the counter. Still, Zacyr was surprised when the old woman rolled her eyes before walking towards her granddaughter. "Oh, you _wimp_. This is too painful to watch."

With that the old woman grabbed the book. Both Kshtsi and Zacyr flinched as the old woman effortlessly lifted up the colossal book before abruptly tossing it in their direction with a slight grunt. The book hit the counter hard, but Zacyr was left in awe as the force of the hit caused the book to open. The book itself slid for a tiny distance, and when it stopped the book was directly in front of Kshtsi, open and ready for someone to read.

While Kshtsi and Zacyr stared at the book, Zacyr heard Grendel speak to her grandmother. He didn't catch exactly what she said though, only that she said _something_. The old lady got Zacyr's attention when she spoke up, sounding highly amused. "You _really_ need to work on your upper body strength, Grendel. That books' not _half_ as heavy as you make it out to be. Anyways, he's looking for an anti-hallucigenic. _So . . ._"

As Zacyr watched, the girl grinned and reached into her robes. "_Way_ ahead of you for this one."

With that the girl grabbed out a vial. While Zacyr saw a few mice also race out of the girl's robes, he paid them no attention. He got the white mouse hallucination so often that it didn't even bother him anymore. Still . . . the vial the girl was holding was filled with a bright green liquid. If Zacyr's eyes weren't messing with him, that same liquid was _also_ glowing.

Grendel smiled at Zacyr as she gently placed the vial on the counter. "This here is called Hallubane. In the line of anti-hallucigenics, Hallubane tops every other medicine. You take it _once_, just the amount in this vial, and it becomes _impossible_ for you to see those false images. Even if you were to take a hallucigenic, it would have no effect. What's more, it affects you for the rest of your life. The one and _only_ unintended side-effect of it is that your irises turn bright-green, permanently."

To say Zacyr was excited would have been an understatement. While he _did_ like his red eyes, that would be a very small price to pay to finally be free of the hallucinations. But as he made to grab it, Kshtsi spoke up abruptly. "Do you think she's going to just hand it to you for free?"

The comment cut Zacyr to the quick. He meekly asked how much it was, and he cringed when Kshtsi reminded him that the book was right there. Poor Zacyr could only blush and twiddle his fingers in response. He felt so embarrassed. "Kshtsi, I uh . . . e-even if I looked at the book, it wouldn't make a difference. I uh . . . I'm illiterate."

His blush only intensified when he saw the look Kshtsi gave him. Kshtsi looked deeply startled at Zacyr's revelation, although he eventually got out a 'how?' Fortunately for Zacyr, the old woman spoke up. "It's actually rather common for the poor to not learn how to read. People from richer families tend to always teach their children to read, but to think that everyone you know _has_ to know how to read is a mistake."

While Kshtsi didn't seem all that convinced, he focused on the book for a bit. Zacyr was surprised when Kshtsi abruptly flinched. "_What in the_ . . . th-there's no possible way for us to pay that. In fact . . ."

At this Kshtsi turned the page in the book. After a few seconds, he gulped. "The cheapest one I've seen yet is in the _thousands_. We aren't even _close_."

Almost immediately after saying that, Kshtsi froze. "What?"

Zacyr could only watch as Kshtsi re-read something in the book. He soon cocked his head before he finally spoke out loud. "Well, we could get this one. It's only ten gillah a vial. Lie-ha-Loon-y?"

While Zacyr cocked his head, the old woman laughed. "_Lihalune_, actually."

Zacyr was really excited. He could buy it! He could buy _five_ vials even! This was excellent! "Alright, we'll ta-"

Kshtsi suddenly interrupted Zacyr again. "But . . . I don't like this. Everything else is such a high price, yet . . . this one's only _ten_ gillah? Why is this one so cheap?"

Both Zacyr and Kshtsi looked up when Grendel spoke. "Lihalune? Oh, there are quite a few reasons that one's so cheap. First of all, most of these ones that are in the thousands either stop hallucinations for a very long period of time, or else they permanently stop it, but have some pretty nasty side-effects. Lihalune is cheap in both price _and_ effect. It has one of the shortest durations out of this type of potion. It only works for twenty-four hours."

Grendel was clearly going to continue, but her grandmother cut in. "Well, that's not _entirely_ true. Lihalune must build up in a person's system. That takes some time, about three or so days. Only once that time has passed will you fully stop seeing that which doesn't exist. Lihalune must be taken once daily to get the best results."

Grendel nodded. "Of course, there are other factors that must be taken into account. Lihalune has some side-effects that can be pretty nasty at first. Upset stomach, dizziness, and stomach pains are the main side-effects at first, but they actually go away pretty fast."

Zacyr nodded. So he had to be prepared for a hard first few days then. Still . . . "I don't mean to be picky, but . . . it's STILL really cheap."

The grandmother smiled as she nodded back over by the cauldron. "There's a total of three ingredients in Lihalune, and one of those ingredients is water. The other is a special weed that can be found about everywhere, but only if you know where to look. The final one is a special plant that only blooms when there's a full moon. And before we forget, there is a _huge_ rule that you have to understand. The day before a full moon, do _not_ drink Lihalune. If you do, then do everything in your power to stay away from the moonlight."

Zacyr nodded. It was obvious that the woman was being serious. Still, he had one more question. "So if it needs to build up in my system, couldn't I just take three vials the first day and speed it up?"

Grendel immediately shook her head, but to Zacyr's shock Grendel's grandmother butted in. "Well, I suppose it would. However, that would also kill you."

All the color drained away from Zacyr's face. "Just three vials?"

Both Grendel and her grandmother nodded again, and this time Grendel spoke. "If you can't remember whether you've taken a vial, just don't take one. Two vials at once will leave you on the brink of death, and there's a high chance that it would kill you. Three will most certainly kill you. All potions can have unexpected results in large amounts, but Lihalune's the best example. _That's_ why it is so cheap. You have to be very careful with it, it's incredibly easy to make, _and_ you have to take a vial a day. But"

At this point Grendel set the vial down on the table and smiled at the two of them. "So long as you _are_ careful with it, there's nothing to fear. It's not as commonly used these days, but Lihalune still remains a relatively popular medicine for those that suffer from your condition."

Zacyr frowned. While for a moment he wondered whether it would have been worth it, once he saw that the counter was rapidly growing demonic eyes he had his answer. "Alright, I'll take . . . three sounds like a nice number."

Here Zacyr eyed Kshtsi, who nodded with a slight smile. Grendel's smile grew even larger as she walked over to the shelves, and soon returned with two more vials of Lihalune. But as she grabbed out a small sheet of parchment, her grandmother spoke up. "One more thing. While Lihalune has never had this happen, sometimes the trigger for your condition is not affected by some of our anti-hallucigenics. Lihalune _should_ take effect at the third dose, taken on the third day. If you are still seeing hallucinations later on the third day, it's very important that you stop right away."

While Zacyr could only cock his head in confusion, he heard Kshtsi gasp. "It's addictive?"

The old woman nodded. "Mildly. But let me explain this. From my experience, those with Zacyr's condition often have, well . . . to see their hallucinations often cause a great deal of stress to the person. It can cause them to lose their grasp on reality. As such, that slight addiction is all they need to get obsessive over it. If it's doing nothing, it will be much harder to stop taking it later in than it will if you've only done so for three days."

Zacyr gulped, but he stated that he would remember that. So if there was no change in three . . . actually four days, then the next town they went to Zacyr would look for a different anti-hallucigenic. He saw Grendel flinch, but before she spoke Zacyr beat her to it. "So just to make sure, I should start taking it tomorrow then?"

Both Grendel and the old woman smiled, and although it took a bit longer for Kshtsi to realize why he abruptly reached the answer. "It's a full moon tonight?"

Zacyr nodded. He had spent a lot of time last night looking at the moon, so he knew tonight was going to be a full moon. Soon Grendel got out a slip of paper covered in small glyphs, and handed it to Kshtsi. "Alright, sign this. It's supposed to be him signing it, but since. . ."

Grendel trailed off, but fortunately for Zacyr Kshtsi understood. "Alright, I'll sign for him."

It was only when Kshtsi was _just_ about to write that Zacyr suddenly remembered something. "Hey Kshtsi, do you know how to spell my name?"

Kshtsi frowned as he looked at Zacyr. "A-C-Y-R. Right?"

Zacyr sighed, he thought so. "Actually it's Z-A-C-Y-R."

Kshtsi froze before looking at Zacyr in shock. "Wait, have we been saying your name wrong? This is the kind of stuff-"

Zacyr held up a hand. "No, you've been saying it right. The Z is completely silent. I just keep forgetting that not everyone knows that just by hearing my name."

Kshtsi gave a slight blush as he scribbled the symbols on the paper. "Oh, sorry for . . . yeah, it makes sense that it's not the first thing you think of."

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><p>THERE we go! Zacyr is on the road to recovery, and Kshtsi is willing to help him. But what's happening over on Tachine's side of the story? Find out in the next chapter!<p> 


	5. Bonding Time

Hi again, faithful/soon-to-be-faithful readers! Here's the next chapter!

WARNING: this chapter includes blood. When it comes to hunting, not everyone can make a clean kill.

Update 12/6/12

Rewritten. Same warning applies. Still having fun.

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><p>As Kshtsi and Zacyr left the alchemist's shop Kshtsi thought about the boy next to him. So Zacyr saw hallucinations. That actually explained a lot. Zacyr had stayed in the forest before because he didn't trust himself in public. Of course that same fact also worried Kshtsi. Zacyr had had no intention whatsoever to tell them about his hallucinations. While Kshtsi understood the reason Zacyr had wanted to keep it secret, it also meant that Zacyr could be hiding other important information too.<p>

At the moment, Zacyr's Lihalune was in the pack on Kshtsi's back. While Zacyr had put up a fuss about it, Kshtsi had won him over by explaining that he would watch for Zacyr showing any signs of being addicted to it, and that he could stop Zacyr from taking it before it became too much of a problem.

In reality, there was more to it than that. Kshtsi wanted to make _certain_ Zacyr didn't start experimenting with Lihalune. He trusted Zacyr, but Kshtsi . . . he felt like it was just _too much_ to trust Zacyr with.

It wasn't Zacyr's fault of course. Kshtsi could tell that Zacyr was almost _desperate_ to be free of his hallucinations, and in all honesty Kshtsi couldn't blame him. What must it be like to be forced to question if everything you see actually existed? It must have put a great deal of stress on Zacyr's mind. If it really took three days for the medicine to work, there was a very high chance that Zacyr might try something to speed it up. And from what Grendel and her grandmother had told Kshtsi and Zacyr about Lihalune, it was quite clear that Lihalune would be a _very_ dangerous medicine to 'experiment' with.

"_Kshtsi, Zacyr!_ Time to leave!"

Both Kshtsi and Zacyr flinched as Tachine raced past them. While Kshtsi wanted to know why, Zacyr turned around and flinched again before addressing Kshtsi. "She means _run now!_"

The urgency in Zacyr's voice was what got Kshtsi to move. Both he and Zacyr took off after Tachine, and when Kshtsi heard footsteps from behind them he soon turned to find a man chasing after them. Kshtsi picked up his pace, surprising himself when he actually passed by Zacyr. Tachine looked back at them, and Kshtsi saw Tachine grin as she looked back at him.

Tachine then looked back at Zacyr and shouted for him to speed up. Kshtsi looked back at Zacyr when Zacyr chuckled at Tachine. The way Zacyr's massive shirt billowed in the wind almost made him look like he had no legs, but it also seemed to be slowing him down.

Zacyr himself didn't look worried in the least. Indeed, he had a large grin on his face as he looked behind him. As Kshtsi watched, Zacyr reached into the pack on his back and grabbed out - to Kshtsi's surprise - a large piece of string. What was he doing?

Kshtsi watched in confusion as Zacyr tied a bit of that string around his own arm. At this point Kshtsi quickly checked in front of him and narrowly avoided running into someone. By the time he looked back, Zacyr now had made a small lasso in the other end of the string. Zacyr then flung the lasso over at the man, the lasso seeming to disappear as it got close. But Kshtsi watched as Zacyr yanked his arm forwards, and as the man flinched Kshtsi realized the lasso had snagged the man's left foot.

The man's left leg moved weirdly in response to Zacyr pulling on his string, and as Kshtsi turned and checked where he was running he heard the man give a cry of pain. While Kshtsi kept looking forwards now, he could hear as the man went into a tumble.

At this point Tachine took a left in the streets, and as Kshtsi followed her lead he was relieved to see that they were almost out of the village. Kshtsi and Tachine both sprinted for it, and Kshtsi almost immediately felt himself panting. He wasn't used to this at _all_.

That may have been part of the reason he was so surprised when Zacyr shot past Kshtsi _and_ a similarly startled Tachine. Kshtsi and Tachine looked at each other in complete shock as Zacyr immediately put a good deal of distance between himself and Tachine. Zacyr was _fast!_

Kshtsi was amused when Zacyr then completely turned himself around, now running backwards as he gave a large grin to both of his group members. "Come now, haven't you two heard of _running? _What you're doing is-"

Unfortunately for Zacyr, by this time they were all out of the village and racing down the trail. Zacyr obviously hadn't noticed a slight turn in the trail, and he ran right off of it. By itself, that wouldn't have been so bad if there wasn't an entire _forest_ on that side of the trail. Zacyr cut off with a startled cry of pain as he ran backwards directly into a tree, and while Kshtsi was worried Zacyr had actually injured himself Tachine laughed hysterically as she passed by Zacyr.

Kshtsi was still worried, but soon Zacyr was running behind Kshtsi as the three of them continued to flee the village. After about twenty more seconds, Kshtsi felt himself slow down. He just didn't have the energy to keep going. Soon he was standing on the trail, panting as his knees wobbled.

Both Tachine and Zacyr stopped as well, and Kshtsi was surprised when the two of them helped Kshtsi into the forest. Soon they reached a clearing, and it wasn't long before the three of them were sitting down in said clearing. Kshtsi smiled, that was . . . that was _fun_, but . . . "Whew, I normally don't run much."

Zacyr chuckled, but Kshtsi immediately grew concerned when Zacyr grunted while rubbing his back. "Son of a _bitch_, that one's going to leave a mark."

Kshtsi asked if Zacyr was okay, but Tachine got him by surprise when she chuckled at Zacyr. "Well that's what you get for gloating. Still . . . _wow_, you're speedy."

Kshtsi smiled when Zacyr grinned, although Zacyr was still rubbing his back. "I put up a _lot_ of traps, and I had to make sure I could get to the traps before anything caught could break free. I practiced running a lot to make sure I could do so. Anyways, what did you take from him?"

Tachine almost got Kshtsi to jump when she produced a large bag from her robes with a smile on her face. What . . . oh, right. Kshtsi had forgotten about the fact that Tachine had explained to Kshtsi that she was a thief. He smiled as Tachine stated that they now had enough gillah to last for quite a while.

It was only when Zacyr spoke up, asking Tachine if she managed to get any food, that Kshtsi even noticed his own hunger. Tachine seemed almost annoyed when she stated no, and she got Kshtsi by surprise when she stated that she had thought Zacyr was going to provide for them. While she did note that she knew Zacyr was a good trapper, Kshtsi cringed when he saw the clear annoyance in Zacyr's expression.

"You obviously don't understand the concept behind 'trapping', Tachine. I"

To Kshtsi's shock Tachine almost immediately interrupted Zacyr. There was an annoyed edge in Tachine's voice. "Hey now, I just got us a bunch more gold we can use in the next village we get to. We all pull our own weight, understood? And don't give me that 'I saved your life' excuse you gave me last night. After all, consciously or _not_, you almost cost Kshtsi his own."

Kshtsi was caught off-guard when Zacyr's face flushed red. Did he still feel guilty about that? But even more than that . . . did Tachine still _blame_ Zacyr for the incident? Zacyr surprised Kshtsi when he simply got up without saying a word. Kshtsi saw Zacyr leave the clearing and go farther into the forest, but just before he entered he slipped a glare in Tachine's direction.

Once they could no longer hear his footsteps, Tachine spoke up. Kshtsi was surprised by the change in her voice. "And _now_ we finally have a chance to talk! So, where are you from?"

What.

While Tachine happily waited for Kshtsi to give her an answer, Kshtsi shook his head in disbelief. So was the real goal of sending Zacyr to go make traps just to get Kshtsi and Tachine some alone time? "I'm not actually holding a grudge against him. It was an accident."

Tachine surprised Kshtsi when she frowned. "How do we know that for certain? Either way, that's not -"

Kshtsi had heard enough. As he got to his feet, he grinned when a startled Tachine asked where Kshtsi was going. He simply shrugged his shoulders before he stated that he was going to see about helping Zacyr find food. While Tachine frowned, she didn't try to stop Kshtsi.

That actually confused him. He had thought that she had separated Zacyr from them so they could talk without Zacyr hearing them. But if that was true, why would she just let that opportunity slip by like this? Not that Kshtsi was going to focus on that for too long. He knew better than Tachine that Zacyr was very sensitive about Kshtsi's near-death, and now that Kshtsi knew the reason _why_ he couldn't really blame Zacyr.

Kshtsi was surprised when he soon found a piece of white string tied around a low-hanging branch on a tree that was close to where the clearing the three of them were staying in was. The string then continued into the forest. Kshtsi decided to follow the trail, guessing that it was made by Zacyr. He was surprised when it took an entire _five minutes_ before he caught up to Zacyr.

Kshtsi was kind of surprised to find Zacyr _was_ actually putting up a trap, and Kshtsi stayed out of Zacyr's sight for a little bit. He could see that the string Kshtsi had followed _was_ originating from Zacyr's pack. Zacyr was standing over by an obviously springy tree, panting heavily as he finished what Kshtsi immediately recognized as a snare trap. Once he saw that Zacyr was done Kshtsi walked out into the open.

Almost the instant Kshtsi did that Zacyr abruptly turned around, now revealing that he was holding a good-sized dagger. While Kshtsi saw his life flash before his eyes he was _greatly_ relieved when Zacyr flinched and put away the dagger. "Oh! Sorry Kshtsi, I didn't know it was you."

Kshtsi stated that it was alright, and Zacyr soon grasped out some string. As Zacyr tied the string around some of the rope that he used in the trap he spoke to Kshtsi. "Did Tachine decide you should come and help too?"

With a sigh Kshtsi shook his head, explaining that he chose to do so himself. He wasn't certain, but he thought he saw a small grin appear on Zacyr's face as Zacyr finished tying the string onto the trap. Zacyr then reached into his pack and grabbed out a few berries, which he then put inside of the lasso part of the snare trap. "Ah. In that case, thank you."

After saying that Zacyr began walking away from the trap, allowing the string attached to it to feed out from his pack, although he also loosely let the string slip through his fingers. "There. If the trap goes off, I'll feel it and be able to respond immediately."

Soon Zacyr and Kshtsi were walking away from the trap, which Kshtsi asked about. "I don't mean to be picky, but wouldn't it be better to just watch the trap instead of use the string? If we walk too far away, it could give whatever may get caught enough time to break free."

Zacyr got Kshtsi by surprise when he smiled at Kshtsi. "We have to catch the prey first. If we leave the trap behind, it eventually loses our scent and creatures won't feel edgy around it. That means more opportunities that something will get caught in it."

Kshtsi gave an 'ah', and he tried to keep the conversation going. Still, after asking Zacyr why he used berries instead of meat as bait for the trap (and getting the answer that he was planning on using the snare once to catch a small creature than again to catch a predator by using the small creature as bait), Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr changed the topic.

"You know, I . . . I really _am_ sorry about catching you in my trap."

Kshtsi couldn't help but smile as he placed a gentle hand on Zacyr's shoulder. "Is that still bugging you? Don't worry about it, I'm not one to hold a grudge over an accident."

Zacyr gave Kshtsi a timid smile in reply. After that, the conversation turned to food, and Zacyr asked if Kshtsi knew how to hunt. Kshtsi explained that he got queasy around blood, and soon Zacyr brought up the idea of Kshtsi gathering berries. While Kshtsi agreed, Zacyr abruptly gave a cry of shock. From the fact that Zacyr almost fell onto his back, Kshtsi couldn't help but grin as he realized what that meant. The trap had just gone off! But as Zacyr regained his balance Kshtsi was surprised to find the string was flailing around a bit. Zacyr spoke quickly. "Holy _crap_. Whatever it caught, it's _huge_. Come on!"

With that both Kshtsi and Zacyr raced back over to the snare trap. When it came into sight, Kshtsi and Zacyr both stared in complete shock as they took in the scene before them. Kshtsi couldn't believe it, there was a _moose_ snagged on the trap!

However, it was by no means a clear catch. The trap was obviously designed to hoist something as small as a rabbit into the air, and if the rope didn't manage to break the rabbit's neck when it caught it, the rabbit would have died of suffocation. But the moose was _way_ too heavy to be lifted by the trap. What was more, thanks to the moose's antlers, the trap didn't catch around its neck. Instead it was caught around the left antler, forcing the moose's head into a strange position.

Kshtsi gulped as the moose, obviously enraged at being caught, shook its head back and forth in an attempt to free itself. The lasso managed to slip past one 'point' on the antler, but was now wedged behind the other point. The most alarming fact was that the tree was making a bunch of awful sounds, and Kshtsi was half convinced the moose was going to uproot the tree and flee while dragging the tree along with it.

"Oh, crap!"

Kshtsi turned to see Zacyr cringing as the moose continued attempting to break free. "The trap's going to give at any moment. I've never caught a moose before, so I have no idea where its vitals are. And something tells me that its vitals are too far inside its body for my hunting knife to reach."

Kshtsi gulped, but to his surprise Zacyr suddenly sprinted towards the moose. Zacyr chuckled as he grabbed out his dagger and a large hunting knife. "Still, that's a _lot_ of meat, and if I manage to kill it then I'll be able to see where its vitals are for next time! You'll probably want to stay back Kshtsi, this is about to get _really_ blood-"

By this time Zacyr was about twenty or so feet away from the moose, and to Kshtsi's horror the snare trap gave way with a loud snap. He heard Zacyr curse, but Kshtsi was surprised when instead of fleeing for its life, the moose turned towards Zacyr and charged.

While Kshtsi could see that Zacyr was obviously startled, Zacyr didn't miss a beat. He continued running at the moose, and a little bit before they should have collided Zacyr abruptly veered off and ducked underneath one of the moose's antlers, the antler just _barely_ missing Zacyr. Zacyr then embedded both of his daggers into the moose's side, and with a savage war cry Zacyr sliced open the moose's side.

It didn't even flinch. Kshtsi stared in shock and horror as the moose continued charging, now headed directly for him. Kshtsi couldn't see the large wounds Zacyr had left on the moose's side, but he could _definitely_ see the trail of blood the moose was now leaving. Kshtsi covered his mouth as he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. _Not now!_ This moose was going to _kill_ him if he didn't do something!

"**_Dive to the right Kshtsi!_**"

Kshtsi didn't stop to think about it. Instead, the instant Zacyr screamed the word '**_NOW_**' Kshtsi dove to the right. He heard the moose run right by him, but his heart stopped when he saw the moose immediately attempt a quick turn. But just as it reached the halfway point, Kshtsi was startled when the moose gave a loud cry and lost its footing.

Kshtsi quickly got to his feet as the moose slid to a stop. Without looking behind himself, Kshtsi raced over to Zacyr to find Zacyr's shirt and arms were covered in blood. However, both Kshtsi and Zacyr turned their attention to the moose when the moose managed to regain its footing.

They both watched as the moose looked at them once before it began limping away from them, still leaving a trail of blood behind it. Once it was out of sight, Kshtsi felt Zacyr's blood-covered hand gently give his shoulder a light squeeze. "_God_, that's a lot of blood. A-are you alright Kshtsi?"

Kshtsi wanted to say 'yes', but almost the instant he turned to look at Zacyr and saw Zacyr's blood-covered torso, Kshtsi instead vomited on the ground. Once he managed to stop, he asked Zacyr if _he_ was alright. Zacyr gave a half-hearted grin as he looked down at his torso. "What, this? This is all from the moose's wound. _Damn_ that thing had a lot of blood."

Kshtsi nodded before motioning towards the trail of blood that led out of sight. "I-its . . . i-it's getting away."

Zacyr nodded, so Kshtsi tried to reinstate his concern. "A-after that wound, shouldn't we be finishing it off? A-as you said, that's a lot of meat on it."

He was startled when Zacyr shook his head. Zacyr looked like he was really unsettled, but when he spoke he was mostly able to keep his voice steady. "It'll die anyways. It reeks too strongly of blood. Any predator that gets a whiff will know the moose is easy pickings. I-I . . . I didn't expect it to turn and fight like it did. Anyways, unless we want a pack of wolves that think we're injured prey we need to wash away this scent. I saw a stream not far from here, let's go."

Kshtsi eagerly nodded, and soon the two of them were at a stream. Zacyr dropped his pack to one side and quickly jumped into the stream, clothes and all. Kshtsi laughed before he did the same. The instant he jumped in Kshtsi was startled to see fish swimming by him. Hmm, now _there_ was a thought . . .

With a grin Kshtsi quickly switched to his +Anima form, and he was amazed at how _quickly_ he began catching fish. Soon he had multiple fish hanging from his waist. Once he had a lot of them Kshtsi left the water and began picking the dying fish off of him. He knew how to skin fish, so soon that's exactly what he was doing.

Once he was done, Kshtsi smiled as he got up. "Looks like we've got food after . . ."

Kshtsi trailed off as he looked around, where was Zacyr? "Zacyr?"

"Here"

Kshtsi turned around and smiled when he saw Zacyr hanging up his clothes on a string to dry. Even more impressive was the fact that Zacyr had somehow changed into a clean and dry pair of clothes in that short amount of time that Kshtsi hadn't been looking. While his shorts were still black his shirt, slightly smaller than the grey one he normally wore but still ridiculously large, was black. Kshtsi grinned as he removed his light blue shirt and blue trousers, soon hanging them up next to Zacyr's.

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi, then soon noticed the pile of skinned fish Kshtsi had left near the stream. Kshtsi almost blushed with pride when Zacyr actually complimented Kshtsi's fishing skills. "I think all we need are a few berries and we have ourselves a meal."

Kshtsi smiled as he nodded, although Zacyr got Kshtsi to jump when he abruptly shook his head. "_God damn it! _Uh, sorry. My condition almost got me again right there."

Kshtsi sighed, although Zacyr surprised him by quickly shaking off his unease. "Tomorrow can _not_ come fast enough."

Once Kshtsi and Zacyr's clothes were dry enough Zacyr stored his clothes in a good-sized pack. Kshtsi only put back on his shorts, using his shirt instead as a make-shift bag for the fish.

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><p>Yay! Zacyr and Kshtsi are friends now!<p>

BTW, I recently deleted one of the chapters I had put up earlier. Just looking back at it . . . it really didn't do anything, was poorly written . . . maybe later I'll do a rewrite. No worries though, this happens when you make a story. Not every chapter is needed, and it just gave away Zacyr's hallucinations a bit too quickly.

Thanks for the reviews Death 101! It's nice to know someone likes my work.


	6. Giving An Example

Next chapter!

For those people that can't tolerate a bit of adult humor (no nudity involved though) or shouldn't be seeing it . . . well, you probably should have read the warning in the summary. This chapter in specific holds a good deal of adult humor, and while it probably CAN be skipped with little consequence there _will_ be at least one future reference to it.

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><p>The girl named Tachine yawned as she waited. She scratched the back of her fox ears. Why did Kshtsi have to walk off like he had? She wanted to talk with him!<p>

Eventually Tachine sighed. She guessed it wasn't a huge loss. It still irked her that Kshtsi had actually seemed displeased about the way Tachine had managed to get time for them to talk, but it wasn't anything too horrible. Still . . . something felt off about the 'explanation' Acyr had given Tachine last night. If he really _hadn't_ seen Kshtsi the first time he had gone to get water . . .

Unfortunately for Tachine, she was in her +Anima form at this time. When the wind changed Tachine took a slight sniff of the air and almost retched at what she smelled. _Damn_, that was such an awful smell! It was strong too. What a strong scent of . . . _blood?_ Oh no. Did something happen to Kshtsi!?

Tachine almost immediately got to her feet, listening closely. After a few minutes she sighed in relief when she heard Kshtsi and Acyr's footsteps headed her way. The footsteps were in a consistent pattern, and it sounded like they were coming her way at a reasonable pace. So they weren't injured at all.

She smiled as the two of them came into view, although her jaw immediately dropped when she looked at Kshtsi._ Whoa_. Kshtsi had _abs!_ H-he wasn't wearing his shirt, this was _awesome!_

"Hey Tachine. We've got some fish and some berries, which would . . . you . . . are-are you _drooling_, Tachine?"

Tachine gulped. It was only when Kshtsi waved his hand in front of her, just as Tachine breathed in through her nose, that she suddenly realized Kshtsi smelled a _lot_ like fish. Tachine blushed as she quickly forced her +Anima traits to recede. She had forgotten about that, how pheromones affected her when she was in her +Anima form. "I uh . . . s-sorry. What was the question?"

Kshtsi seemed quite startled, but Tachine couldn't help but cringe when Acyr raised an eyebrow. "What was _that_ about?"

Tachine blushed more as she tried to come up with a good excuse. To her surprise and dismay Acyr figured out the truth _long_ before she could think up an excuse. "Do you _love _the smell of fish or something?"

**_FUCK!_** How did he figure that out so quickly!? Tachine shook her head, although she realized immediately that it was a waste of effort. Now Acyr had this smug little smirk on his face, and on instinct Tachine said the first thing she could think of. "No! I-I just, this is the first time I've seen Kshtsi without his shirt on. I-I mean, I knew he was sexy before, but holy_ **crap**_."

If she wasn't so embarrassed herself Tachine would probably have burst out laughing at Kshtsi's reaction. Oh _man_, his face brought a whole new meaning to the term 'blush'. Acyr's reaction was also pretty funny, the way he looked at Kshtsi while trying not to laugh. It sure didn't take long for Acyr to lose that fight.

But when Acyr eventually stated that he found it strange that Tachine saw Kshtsi so differently with Kshtsi only removing his shirt, Tachine couldn't help the grin that came to her face. Acyr had _no_ idea what he was walking into. "Oh, come now. It's not like you would do any better if you saw a girl without her shirt on."

Acyr lifted an eyebrow as he stated he wasn't a perverted person, and that he had no interest in 'that kind of stuff'. At least, that's what Tachine guessed he was saying. She undid the obi holding her robes together, when Acyr got about halfway through his sentence, and as she slipped out of her robes the last four words in Acyr's sentence must have died in his throat.

Tachine guessed she couldn't _entirely_ blame Acyr when his eyes opened wide and his mouth slightly opened in an obviously dumbstruck gaze. She couldn't resist teasing him a little, walking over to him and purposefully making her hips sway side to side. Tachine then leaned forwards, giving Acyr an obviously impressive view as she bent down to eye level with him. "Is that so, Acyr? Are you saying you _wouldn't_ stare?"

That did it. Acyr almost immediately began bleeding out his nose, which got Tachine to giggle. "Something tells me that you're lying."

The poor guy finally snapped out of his obvious shock as he began stuttering. "_Hey_-uh, th-this . . . th-that's more than a shirt b-being removed! I-I . . ."

Tachine giggled again as she lightly cupped a hand around Acyr's chin, gently forcing his head upwards as she spoke. "I removed one article of clothing, and now you won't even look me in the eye. Why? The answer is because you can't stop looking a _little _lower than my face, right?"

She was greatly amused when Acyr knocked her hand away from his chin. The poor kid's head betrayed him as it turned downwards. She saw him try to stop it, she saw him try to maintain eye contact with Tachine, but he eventually had to settle with looking at Tachine's neck. "I-I . . . I uh . . . l-look, I-I think it's in everyone's breast interests that you - **_BEST,_** I-I mean BEST interests that you uh . . . p-put your robe back on, _please!_"

Tachine sighed as she flung her hair over her shoulder. At the current rate that blood was coming out of Acyr's nose, she almost _had_ to stop soon or he was going to die from blood loss. "Oh, fine. If you can't handle it, I'll put on my kimono."

She gave Acyr a cruel grin when Acyr gave a massive sigh of relief. When she turned around, she began a slow, seductive walk over to her kimono. Tachine had to keep from laughing as she passed Kshtsi. To say his nose was bleeding would have been an understatement. Both the boys gawked at Tachine even after she had reached her robes, and as Tachine redressed she chuckled. "_This_ is the power I have over men. My body is my weapon of choice."

Eventually she got the kimono on and the obi re-tied. When she focused on the two boys again she laughed when she saw they were still gawking at her. "Now, what did you say before?"

Neither boy answered. Indeed, it took Tachine snapping her fingers a few times before she got any reaction out of the two of them.

"Huh?"

"What . . . what did you say?"

Tachine grinned as she shook her head. Maybe she had gone a little overboard. "For the final time, what did you say before?"

Kshtsi gulped. "I uh . . . I don't . . . I-I don't remember."

Tachine shook her head with amusement. Eventually the excitement died down and Tachine finally got her answer. Kshtsi told her about how he and Acyr had narrowly avoided being trampled to death by a moose before deciding to go to the stream and go fishing. Tachine was delighted when she saw the fish they had caught, although she knew for certain that by 'they' Kshtsi meant that he had done that while Acyr was off doing something useless. Soon the group was eating the fish, having all but forgotten about the earlier excitement.

* * *

><p>Update 11/13

Here's the redo.

I got rid of the part where she lied yet told the truth, and tried to be more/less mature about this part overall. To be honest, the 'pheromone' part actually was forgotten farther in, so I decided that this has more to do with him smelling of fish.


	7. Playing With String

And here's another chapter to read!

This one's from Zacyr's point of view.

Update: 2/13/13

Whew, that took a little longer than I expected. Hopefully the next rewrite won't take as long :)

* * *

><p>Zacyr sighed as he, Kshtsi, and Tachine got done eating. He had been pleasantly surprised by how good fish tasted. It may have been the way Kshtsi had cooked them or something else, but it just tasted much better than Zacyr had expected. Granted, it wasn't like Zacyr had had many opportunities to try fish before. For some reason his underwater traps never managed to work. In fact he had only managed to catch <em>one<em> thing in an underwater trap so far, and that had been Kshtsi.

Tachine got Zacyr to chuckle when she stated that she enjoyed the fish. When Zacyr looked at Tachine, he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes when a large demonic eye appeared on her forehead. All he had to do was blink and that eye vanished without a trace. He gave no reaction to it, instead making a crack on what Tachine had said. "So you like the smell _and_ the taste of fish? Kshtsi, you might want to start running."

As Kshtsi let out a slight chuckle Zacyr smiled. While he was expecting Tachine to make some sort of response he eventually found that her attention was being held by something to the west. When Zacyr followed her eyesight he was startled to find the sun _just_ peeking out from behind the trees. He hadn't thought the day was going to be over so quickly.

It wasn't long before the three of them were sitting around a small campfire as the full moon started to rise. Zacyr sighed as he eyed that moon. He would have to keep track of the stages of the moon from now on to make certain he didn't take Lihalune the day before a full moon. While he didn't know what it would do, he didn't want to find out.

He flinched when a confused Tachine asked him what he was doing, and soon found Tachine was giving him a very amused look. Zacyr raised an eyebrow, not too sure what Tachine meant. "I'm trying to determine if I have enough string to lasso down the moon. Can't I just _look_ at the moon without needing an explanation?"

Tachine gave Zacyr a teasing smile. He didn't really understand why she did so until Tachine gave her reply. "It certainly _does_ look like you're trying to lasso down the moon. If you are, I suggest A) using rope, and B) a bigger hole in the lasso."

As Zacyr cocked his head in confusion Tachine nodded towards Zacyr's hands. When he followed her line of sight he blushed when he realized there was a lasso made entirely of string in his hands, which his left hand was casually twirling as if he was preparing to throw it. Now that he was aware he was doing it Zacyr stopped, straightened out the string, and stuck it back in his bag.

Soon Kshtsi asked if that was a bad habit of Zacyr's, and Zacyr smiled in reply. It was a habit of Zacyr's alright, but he didn't think there was anything _bad_ about it. "I don't really see what's so bad about it."

Tachine spoke next, asking Zacyr why he had so much string. Zacyr smiled as he explained that he used string all the time. "There are very few problems that I can't solve with string."

To his surprise Tachine grinned as she crossed her arms. There was a strange sparkle in her eyes as she addressed Zacyr. "Fine, then I'll give you a scenario. You come across a bear in the forest after inadvertently pissing it off. For the purpose of this scenario playing dead is not an option _and_ you have none of your rope. What do you do?"

Ah, so it was a battle of wits. Zacyr grinned as he crossed his arms as well. "Depends on what's in the surrounding area. You'll have to give me more information than that, but I can already tell that I can use string to get out of it."

He grinned when Tachine merely shrugged. She clearly thought the important part of the scenario was the bear, and didn't think that Zacyr could save himself no matter the surrounding area. "I guess just . . . you know, a forest. Trees, shrubs, and a pissed-off bear that wants to kill you."

Zacyr grinned at that. This scenario was an easy one for him. "Take out ten lengths of string, quickly lasso some tougher branches and then 'run' from the bear. It would chase, but because of the string I would swing into the air right over the startled bear's head. At the apex of my swing I quickly lasso other branches to keep from getting lower, and then stay up there suspended by the string until the bear goes away."

It soon turned into a sort of game where Tachine would try to make a scenario Zacyr couldn't get out of. Zacyr welcomed the challenge, and for a good deal of time Tachine kept giving Zacyr different scenarios to escape from. While Zacyr was confident at first that Tachine wouldn't be a difficult opponent, he was startled to find that Tachine was actually a fast learner. Zacyr had to put more and more thought into his escape paths as she continued taking away elements from the scenario that were essential for his previous tricks.

Eventually Zacyr had to concede defeat when she gave a clearing in the forest as the battleground, no trees close enough for Zacyr to attach his string to and no time to get closer. Zacyr's reply - use string to tie the bear's mouth shut - was truly half-assed, and got both of them to chuckle. Zacyr knew that did nothing to save him. Not only would that be _ridiculously_ risky to do, it did absolutely nothing to stop the bear's claws from ripping him apart. But after he got done chuckling he admitted defeat, and while Tachine looked awfully smug at finally winning they decided it was time to go to sleep.

Indeed, by this time Zacyr felt practically dead. He had forgotten that he had never gone to sleep last night, and now it was really starting to take its toll on him. He soon laid his head down, and within a few seconds he was out like a light.

Of course, Zacyr was the first one up when morning came, followed by . . . okay, so the only reason Kshtsi woke up soon after was because Zacyr shook him awake. Zacyr wanted to take the Lihalune while Tachine was still asleep, so Tachine wouldn't find out about his condition. Still Kshtsi told him to wait a little longer, as the moon was still just barely in sight. Once the moon finally slipped out of sight behind the trees Zacyr turned and eagerly faced an amused Kshtsi. "You _do_ still have them, right?"

With a smile on his face Kshtsi nodded and grabbed out a vial of Lihalune. Zacyr felt _very _excited as Kshtsi handed him the vial. In just a few days the hallucinations would _finally _be gone. Of course, he still remembered that it had to build up in his system before it would stop him from seeing hallucinations. He knew that the first few days would be rough as he got used to the numerous side-effects. Zacyr quickly popped the cork. He gulped, now how was it going to taste? He hadn't thought of that before, medicine normally tasted awful. Still Zacyr soon put the vial to his lips and lifted his head, allowing the liquid to enter his mouth.

He had to admit, he thought it was going to taste like something _awful_. But in reality it really wasn't that bad. What was more the Lihalune was surprisingly . . . fluid, for lack of a better term. It didn't stick at all to his throat! It didn't even have a repulsive taste!

"Good morning Kshtsi and Zacyr."

Zacyr turned around immediately as Tachine got up, quickly hiding the empty vial in his pack. He silently sighed in relief as he realized Tachine hadn't seen it. As the group spoke of what to do next, eventually deciding that they would just follow the trail, they began to pack up. Zacyr soon was a little bit in the forest, and he was surprised to find a piece of string. It must have slipped out of his pack yesterday. He'd have to check his pack for-

He had no warning when his stomach suddenly screamed in pain. Zacyr winced as he covered his stomach, fighting back tears from the sheer pain caused by whatever the hell had just happened. Who the fuck had just punched him in the stomach!? Zacyr gave a muffled yelp when the pain intensified for a moment.

It took a bit before Zacyr remembered that one of the side-effects of Lihalune was stomach cramps. But . . . how could this be a stomach cramp!? This hurt so badly, there was no way this could be a stomach cramp!

Then again . . . if only taking two vials would leave the drinker on the brink of death, he guessed it made sense that just _one_ vial could do this much. Hopefully he'd build up a resistance soon. Now he was worried. He hadn't expected the stomach cramps to be so strong. What were the other side-effects again? Light headedness and . . . ugh, what was the other one? Upset stomach, right? Yeah, he remembered now.

Shaking off the pain Zacyr picked up the string and quickly wrapped it up. But as his stomach again aggravated him, Zacyr found his hands instead making patterns out of the string. He couldn't help but grin as he forced himself to stop playing around with the string. Until he built up a resistance to this pain all he could do was tough it out.

* * *

><p>Lihalune went through quite a few different ideas for how it worked. The one thing that has remained consistent is that there's a <em>reason<em> it only costs 10 coins. I don't want to give out spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. Next chapter won't take long!


	8. Underneath The Facade

This chapter was a little rushed, and as such I will likely edit it more in the future. But for now, enjoy!

[Update: 3/29/2013]

Welcome to the future. Still no hovercars, unfortunately. BUT, there is a redone chapter instead! I know it's not as cool as the hovercar, but it's the best I could do :)

* * *

><p>Tachine sighed as she leaned against a nearby tree. She was fighting a war in her head. What <em>was<em> it about the way Acyr had responded to finding Kshtsi in his trap that just felt so _wrong?_ She kept trying to push it out of her head, but the thought just kept coming back. As she was thinking about that Acyr re-entered the clearing. Tachine didn't really pay too much attention to him, so she didn't catch what was said between Acyr and Kshtsi. Not that she would have cared too much anyways. What was important was that soon they left the clearing and continued the long trek to the next town.

It wasn't like they really had a place to go. Neither Tachine nor Acyr had any place in particular planned, and Kshtsi so far had said nothing about wanting to go somewhere in specific. Heck, Tachine didn't even know how long it would be until they would reach the next town, what the town would be called, or anything like that. She didn't normally 'travel' that much. As always when the group walked together Acyr followed behind Tachine and Kshtsi. It got Tachine to grin. At the very least, Acyr knew his place in the presence of +Anima.

That thought again brought up conflicting ideas in Tachine's head, and she pondered over those ideas as they continued to walk. Tachine hated 'normal' people. They knew _nothing_ about how hard life could really be. In fact if Acyr hadn't saved Tachine's life when she had met him, she probably would have refused to let him come along. And as she looked back on her reasoning for why she had agreed to it, the reasons seemed less and less justified.

So Acyr saved her. So_ what? _That didn't change the fact that he had almost 'unintentionally' killed Kshtsi. Ugh, what had he done or _said_ that Tachine was forgetting!? That was going to drive her _crazy _until she found her answer!

Tachine's thoughts abruptly went back to when Acyr had been showing her the tree that he had been tying all of his string to. While she tried to bring her thoughts back to the problem that was irking her, she suddenly found the answer in how Acyr had replied when Tachine had alerted him to string connected to the trap Kshtsi had been in being taut. _'_What? But I was _just _over there! It . . . it must have sprung within the last minute._'_

_That was it!_ He started acting weird the instant he learned that trap had gone off! And now that Tachine thought about it . . . it really _hadn't_ been that much time between Acyr getting her the water and him showing her that tree. Could a person really thrash about in a trap during that time so much that they actually went _unconscious_?

"Hey, Tachine!"

With tremendous effort Tachine managed to pull herself out of her thoughts. When she did she found both Acyr and Kshtsi looking at her, with Kshtsi seeming almost concerned and Acyr looking rather amused. Acyr then told Tachine that they were going to quickly stop for lunch. Now that she thought about it, Tachine _was_ getting rather hungry . . .

Tachine asked Acyr if he could get some food for them again. But this time she actually paid attention to his reply. She was shocked as, just as Kshtsi had told her Acyr had done when she had asked him to get supper for them, Acyr went off on a rant. An outraged Tachine was going to retort, but she was startled when Acyr abruptly stopped his rant with a 'huh?' and began rubbing his forehead. Kshtsi asked if Acyr was okay, and Acyr quickly muttered that he was getting a little light-headed.

Again Acyr left to 'find' food, going into a forest near their stopping point. It was really starting to irritate Tachine. Acyr could _only_ hunt in a forest? Tachine was startled out of her thoughts when Kshtsi asked if they should help Acyr.

Tachine refused to help. She knew nothing about hunting and didn't want to learn. Eventually Kshtsi sighed before he went after Acyr, clearly having chose to help him.

As always when Tachine was alone, she allowed her fox traits to show. She personally enjoyed being a +Anima, and she hated having to hide that fact whenever they went into a town. Hell, the only reason she didn't let her fox-traits show all the time was because of the possibility of a random passerby seeing them. She was really getting irked that Kshtsi kept choosing to help Acyr instead of chat with her. But then again, that was really the only thing that frustrated her about Kshtsi.

He was modest, clever, and kind. While Tachine didn't know anything about Kshtsi's past she could easily imagine the pain he must have been put through. Maybe he wasn't abandoned like Tachine was and he might not have gotten his +Anima state the same way Tachine did, but she could easily imagine what had happened after he became a +Anima.

If he had ever used those abilities in a town then he would have been ran out of town, or maybe they even imprisoned, tortured, and almost killed him. Tachine's blood began to boil as she remembered her own experiences.

Hadn't that boy said it didn't matter that Tachine was a +Anima? Yet the instant she had finally grown comfortable around Retaby, he had . . . she still felt the shock from that encounter. After she was chained into that cell, that _bastard_ . . . his voice, once so tender, became bitter and cruel. It had taken a lot of work and a lot of luck to get out of that damn place. Tachine had to admit, that might have been the reason why she was having such a hard time tolerating Acyr. He didn't have any right to tell her what was right and what was wrong. Acyr didn't know what it was like to be called a _freak_.

Tachine sat there for a bit, fuming in anger at her memories. But when she smelt Kshtsi she _immediately_ hid her fox-traits, if only out of habit. When Kshtsi and Acyr came into view carrying fish and berries Tachine smiled at them.

In reality she was furious. Acyr had never learned how to fish. He had told Tachine that after Tachine had gotten stung by one of Kshtsi's tentacles, while she was trying to bare the pain. Kshtsi though, being a +Anima of a creature that could catch fish, appeared to be really good at it. That meant that Acyr had only collected the berries. What a lazy _ass_! Tachine saw how it was. Acyr was just another person that would use +Anima to solve his problems, just like they were _tools!_

While the meal was pleasant and the conversation friendly Tachine couldn't shake that feeling that Acyr was just another human. That air of mystery and strength he had possessed when Tachine had first met him appeared to be nothing more than a façade. Heck, he was younger than Tachine and Kshtsi by at _least_ three years, if his appearance was anything to go off of.

Still, she managed to contain her anger. All she had were suspicions, she had to remember that. Acyr likely didn't mean to be the jerk he was. He was probably stressed from having amnesia, that might be why he had overreacted when they had seen Kshtsi. Now that Tachine thought about it, hadn't Acyr stayed in the forest for the past year or so? That by itself explained his love for forests, and could even explain _why_ he always went to the forest.

Hmm . . . he also said that he normally trapped animals, not hunted them. Was that why he wasn't finding food by himself, because he had to keep on setting up traps then take them down almost right away regardless of if he got something or not? It didn't explain everything, but it certainly helped to calm Tachine down a little.

As the group got ready to leave the clearing Tachine looked at Acyr. She was almost _concerned_ when she realized just how little Acyr had eaten. She soon asked about it, and Acyr gave a slight chuckle before he explained that his stomach wasn't agreeing with him at the moment. Tachine let it go at that. He probably didn't eat fish too much, so it was messing with his stomach.

Once they were ready to go the group went back to the trail. Unlike before Tachine paid a little bit more attention to Acyr. She was shocked when she realized Acyr must have come down with something. He was beginning to look a little . . . woozy. Before long Tachine almost felt _alarmed_ at how quickly Acyr's condition was deteriorating. Tachine wasn't the only one noticing it either. She caught Kshtsi looking back at Acyr a few times with quite a bit of concern in his eyes.

After five or so hours Tachine decided that they should stop for the day. Kshtsi seemed a bit surprised, but Tachine subtly nodded back to Acyr. He was clearly reaching his limit from the way he stumbled along after them. While Acyr tried to insist that he was fine, both Tachine and Kshtsi were firm with him. When they chose where to stay, Kshtsi actually had to help prop Acyr up against a nearby log.

Even Tachine wasn't going to tell Acyr to get food. She immediately vouched that she and Kshtsi would go get food. While Acyr ironically protested, Tachine was firm with him. Before long Tachine was collecting berries as Kshtsi fished in a nearby stream. Now that she thought about it, she and Kshtsi were finally alone and able to talk to each other! But ironically, the first thing Tachine almost had to speak about was Acyr. "Hey Kshtsi, did you notice anything . . . _weird_ about Acyr today? I think he's coming down with something."

She felt kind of relieved when Kshtsi nodded in agreement. "I was starting to get concerned myself. He's tough though, so he'll soldier on whether we want him to or not."

Kshtsi turned to the side and mumbled something quietly. While Tachine didn't comment on it, since it was clear she wasn't supposed to hear it, she had quickly leaned in to catch the words. "_That's what I'm worried about, actually._"

Tachine was surprised when Kshtsi stopped fishing and said he was going to go back by Acyr. _Oh, come ON!_ How hard was it to get a chance to speak to Kshtsi alone!? But then again . . . she guessed that she couldn't blame him. She was kind of worried about Acyr too. Not that she would ever admit it.

* * *

><p>So Tachine has a side to her that she doesn't show. Hmm . . . could this cause trouble in the future?<p>

And Zacyr . . . was it a mistake to give him the Lihalune? The side-effects are were clearly stronger than he thought they were, and as the woman said Lihalune _is_ 'slightly' addictive. But if something this strong is a side effect, just how addictive can Lihalune be and still be classified as '_slightly_' addictive?

Oh! Before I forget, I know some of the readers are probably confused now. After all, the title of this story is 'We _Four_ Freaks', not 'We _Three_ Freaks'. Not only that, all three of the group (so far) were introduced in the very first chapter. Well, there _is_ another planned member. However, they are going to be introduced, well . . . _quite_ a bit later.

By the way, I'll be honest with you: I've only read two or so volumes of the full +Anima series. So while I _do_ have planned visits to some of the areas that Cooro and his friends went, areas _after_ volume two are going to be left out. It'll make more sense further in. Next chapter won't take long!


	9. Lost And Found

Just a little fun fact

Zacyr's very NAME is symbolic to his hallucinations. Just like his hallucinations, the Z in his name is only for show, and has no real effect on the pronunciation.

* * *

><p>Kshtsi waited until he was out of Tachine's sight before he sped up. This Lihalune thing had already taken a <em>huge <em>turn for the worse. The alchemists _had _mentioned side effects, but . . . Zacyr was practically dead on his feet! How could these side effects be so _strong!? _He had to speak to Zacyr about this _now_.

Of course, the question now was just how to break this to Zacyr. Kshtsi understood that it had only been one day, but just _one _vial of Lihalune had done so _much. _If Zacyr had more. . .

Besides, just how strong was this addiction going to be? The alchemists had mentioned that it is a very mild one, but then again they hadn't explained just how strong the side-effects were going to be. What if Zacyr was already addicted? He hadn't pulled Kshtsi aside during their walk and spoke about concerns over Lihalune.

And of course, it wouldn't entirely be Zacyr's fault. What if _Kshtsi _had done the wrong thing? He hadn't looked through the entire book of potions after all. There could have been more low-priced potions with fewer risks farther in. Kshtsi had just . . . it had been the first potion that the price was lower than a hundred gillah, so he had . . .

The trip to the clearing Zacyr was resting in seemed to take forever. In reality it probably took less than two minutes, but Kshtsi lost track of time as his worried mind continued to question whether he had done the right thing. Once Kshtsi finally got there he was greeted by a half-dead Zacyr.

He still looked pretty bad. Zacyr was still heavily leaning on the log Kshtsi had propped him against. Okay, now where did Kshtsi start? Uhm . . .

"Is Tachine following you?"

Kshtsi immediately shook his head no, and to his surprise Zacyr relaxed quite a bit. "Damn, I didn't think one vial could do _this . . . _did they mention the side-effects being this intense?"

Actually, now that Kshtsi thought about it . . . hadn't they mentioned the side effects being pretty nasty at first? He had completely forgotten about that. He let out a timid nod, but was partially amused when Zacyr let out a weak curse. "I probably should have listened a little closer. I uh . . . I'm pretty sure Tachine knows something's up, huh?"

Kshtsi nodded. He saw Zacyr give a weak grin in reply. "Yeah, that doesn't really surprise me. I -"

At this Zacyr let out a grunt of pain as he gently rubbed his stomach. "_Fucking . . . _the worst part is that I don't know when it's going to happen. If these side effects don't go down _fast_, I'm not going to touch Lihalune again."

Kshtsi couldn't help the sigh of relief he gave. So it wasn't as bad as he had thought. Zacyr at least knew just how rough of a state he was in, and he didn't appear to hold any liking to Lihalune yet.

Kshtsi soon gave Zacyr a pitying smile when Zacyr again cringed. "I suppose we should give the potion a bit more time to work. They did say that you'd build up a resistance to the side-effects. Although I have to admit, that goes against quite a few things I know about medicine."

Zacyr grinned at that, which caught Kshtsi off guard. "I've been thinking about that, actually. Remember what she said it was made out of? Lihalune is created by mixing water, a weed, and poisonous pollen that must be severely diluted to keep from killing the person. The way I see it, the 'side effects' are actually the body's reaction to the poison. Following that line of logic, I'm _not_ building up a resistance to the side-effects. I'm building up a resistance to the poison."

Kshtsi was pretty surprised. For someone who was having so much difficulty thinking at the moment Zacyr was pretty logical. Still . . . " Now that I think about it, why would a plant have poisonous pollen? I understand killing other plants to make room for itself to grow, but . . . it would rely entirely on the wind to spread it."

Zacyr gave another slight grin. "I've thought about that too. What if it's not poisonous by itself? Could the weed mixed into the potion cause some sort of a reaction that _makes_ the pollen so poisonous?"

Kshtsi was in awe. Zacyr was actually capable of thinking through a problem when he was so light-headed like this? Maybe it wasn't as bad as they thought it was. After all Zacyr _was _starting to look a little better. But after a bit more talk Zacyr gave Kshtsi a tired grin. "Alright, I . . . I need rest. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine on my own for a bit. You should go and help Tachine out with getting food. My stomach's really messed up at the moment, so I don't think I'll eat that much. Just get a little bit more than you two want and I'll try the scraps. Wake me up when you're ready."

With that Zacyr slowly eased himself down until he was lightly resting his head against a nearby log. Kshtsi had a slight smile on his face as he turned and headed for the forest. At least it wasn't half as bad as he had thought it was. It didn't look like Zacyr was addicted to Lihalune yet.

Alright, so now he had to go back to where he had been searching for berries with Tachine. But once he got there Kshtsi was startled to find Tachine wasn't in sight. Wasn't this about where he had told Tachine to stay? Had Tachine gone farther in? Damn it, _he had _**_told_**_ her to stay near the edge of the forest!_

If she had gone farther in then she could easily have gotten lost! But then again, he couldn't just come to conclusions. Maybe she was still at the edge of the forest. After all, she knew more about forests than Kshtsi did. No matter what she did though, Kshtsi had to find her now. The issue with was . . . well, Kshtsi didn't know _anything _about navigating a forest. If he went searching for her then he could get lost too.

Following that line of logic, it would be better to have someone who could easily navigate a forest - that being Zacyr - search for Tachine. Of course the issue with that idea was that Zacyr was still suffering from the side-effects of the potion. It would be hard on Zacyr to tell him to search for Tachine. It wasn't like Zacyr was in a good condition to go frolicking in the forest. Ugh, then what was the correct thing to do!?

Kshtsi was still trying to decide when he heard a scream shatter the silence. That was **Tachine****'s voice, and it had come from farther in the forest****!** He had to find her and _fast_! Without a second thought Kshtsi dashed farther into the forest. Thankfully it didn't take him long to figure out where Tachine was. He found her next to a small stream, clearly upset. The instant that she saw him she tackled him in a hug. "Kshtsi!"

Kshtsi sighed in relief as Tachine hugged him tightly . . . a little _too_ tightly, actually. "Are you alright Tachine?"

He was surprised when she immediately went into an explanation, telling Kshtsi that she had only entered the forest more because she couldn't find any more berries in the bushes near where they had been earlier. She then explained how she had quickly gotten lost, and how she had found the stream a little bit ago.

As she continued her explanation it suddenly hit Kshtsi that he was here as well. He soon turned his head to look at the trees behind him, and he had to stop himself from gulping as he realized that he had no idea which way he had entered the trees. Oh, crap. Which way was out!? Now he was lost too!

"Oh no, you don't know the way out either?"

Kshtsi did his absolute best to keep from panicking. He forced himself to give Tachine a reassuring smile. "Well . . . we'll find our way out."

He might as well have confessed that they both were lost. Tachine shivered in fear while looking around. Still, Kshtsi was surprised at what Tachine said next. "We need Zacyr to help us. He knows the forest like the back of his hand!"

Kshtsi gulped at that. Now that he really thought about it himself, Zacyr only knew the forest they had been in two days ago like the back of his hand. While he probably could navigate a forest better than they could, he didn't know this forest at all. And in his current condition, well . . . they'd probably all be stuck here.

No, he had to stop thinking like that. He and Tachine were lost, and they needed to find a way out. Let's see . . . well, the hardest part of navigating the forest was just how similar the surrounding area was. They couldn't just wander around the forest.

Wait a second! _The stream!_ "I got an idea Tachine. But it could take some time."

She looked at Kshtsi with a small flicker of hope in her eyes. Kshtsi gave her a reassuring smile as he nodded towards the stream. "What we need is a reliable path to follow, one that we can backtrack if this doesn't work. We should walk next to the stream and see if it can lead us out. We'll go downstream, and if it doesn't lead us out of here then we'll go upstream."

Tachine gave a nod, and soon they were following the stream. Kshtsi continued to reassure her, although he was actually as nervous as she was. While Kshtsi _was_ hoping they could find their way out by following it, there was another reason. If this took too long then it would be important to be near a source of water.

But if it really took that long, wouldn't Zacyr realize something was wrong? What if he got worried and decided to look for them? With how lightheaded Zacyr was he could easily make a mistake and end up lost as well. Then again, that probably wouldn't be that big of a problem for him. Since he had lived in a forest for so long before, it wouldn't be hard for him to adjust to this one.

Tachine and Kshtsi didn't share this advantage. While Kshtsi could fish for food, it didn't look like there _were_ any fish in this stream. Tachine and Kshtsi would have to find berries and, depending on how long this took, they would also have to find shelter.

Seconds soon turned to minutes as they continued to follow the stream. The forest felt almost unnaturally silent, the only sounds being the rushing water and the occasional bird chirping. Soon Kshtsi and Tachine lost all track of time. Kshtsi's thoughts were getting more and more paranoid. How were they going to get out of this? He countered that by remembering that they were following the stream. But that didn't help his nerves, especially when the birds chirping were replaced with owls hooting. It was night now? Had it really been that long?

The final straw was when they finally reached the end of the stream, only to find that it simply emptied out into a lake that was _still _in the forest. A single doe was currently taking a drink, although when Tachine screamed in frustration the doe quickly bolted for the trees. "**_NO!_** This isn't _fair!_ I just want to get out of here! We don't even know how long it's been! _How long have we been here!?_"

Of course, Kshtsi couldn't give her an answer. But both he and Tachine flinched as the doe that had fled before abruptly ran back into the clearing, followed by - to their surprise yet delight - Zacyr. Zacyr seemed rather amused as he casually answered Tachine. "About four hours, give or take fifteen minutes."

Kshtsi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, which Zacyr obviously found funny from the way he chuckled. "You know, this is about when everyone else snaps and starts writing down in a journal about how there must be some 'supernatural' reason they can't find the way out."

As Zacyr spoke Kshtsi noticed that Zacyr was lightly holding onto a string that ran from somewhere in the forest to Zacyr's pack. Kshtsi was rather delighted when he saw how well Zacyr had clearly recovered. Zacyr still looked rather shaky, but he was definitely better than he had been before. Soon Kshtsi and Tachine were following Zacyr out of the forest, who confidently backtracked using the piece of string. When Tachine asked about the string, Zacyr explained that he had tied it to the log he had been resting on so he could backtrack with it.

After ten or so minutes Kshtsi and Tachine flinched as the string Zacyr was holding suddenly went slack. Zacyr mumbled a small curse under his breath, but surprised both Kshtsi and Tachine when he simply continued to follow the now-slack string. "Something cut the string. Try not to touch the string, or you may disturb the other end."

As Zacyr followed the string out, Tachine frantically asked who would have sabotaged the string. Zacyr simply laughed as they stepped over a log. "_Sabotaged_? No, this happens quite often actually. All that happened was that an animal unknowingly walked into it. Stay calm, it's simply a deer, moose, or a bea - uhm, some other fluffy animal more likely to run or cuddle with you than to hurt you."

Kshtsi grinned. Zacyr had almost said 'bear' which would have _certainly_ set Tachine off. As they followed the slack string, Tachine continued to speak, sounding more and more frantic until Zacyr abruptly motioned for them to be quiet. Both Kshtsi and Tachine immediately complied, with Tachine asking Zacyr if he heard something. In reply Zacyr grinned back at her. "No, I just want you to be quiet. Calm down, we're almost there."

Tachine frowned and crossed her arms as both Zacyr and Kshtsi chuckled. Not more than two minutes later Zacyr held up a hand and told the two of them to stop. "Alright, here's the break."

While Tachine gulped both Zacyr and Kshtsi simply looked for the other part of the string, and they quickly found it. Zacyr quickly grabbed the broken-off piece and surprised Kshtsi when he quickly wrapped it up. "There, I might use that piece later. We're almost there, let's get moving again."

Soon Kshtsi and Tachine sighed in relief as they saw the edge of the forest. Mere seconds later they were all back in the clearing that they had chosen to stay in earlier. After a hastily put together meal consisting entirely of plants they all laid down to sleep.

* * *

><p>For those wondering what the main point of this chapter were, it really was the beginning part, where it was explained that Zacyr is not addicted to Lihalune . . . yet.<p>

I also know that he has had a miraculous recovery in just four hours, and that it's completely out of the blue. The truth of it is that the side-effects were never intended to be in the story until I got to the writing portion of it, so the overall plot requires the side-effects to lower in intensity _fast_.

And another fun fact: it's somewhere between the day before this and the day afterwards (probably more located in the day afterwards) that Cooro and his group visit the Honeycomb Mansion.

Update: 5/1/13

Hi! Remember when I used to be able to write a chapter a day? Well, I do! And when I look at these chapters and think about that time, I can't help the smile that comes to my face as I wonder to myself, 'how the hell did I do that?'

The world may never know :)

Well, actually I _do _know. I'm not going to tell you though. But I will tell you this: I am going to try going back to what I did earlier. It's going to take some time to set up, but hopefully I'll be able to pull it off. ANYWAYS, while I set it up I'm going to focus solely on the rewriting.


	10. The Bug In Zacyr's Thoughts

Zacyr has always suffered from hallucinations. Eventually, he found many ways to separate his hallucinations from reality. Among those ways are to see if his other senses can pick up on what his eyes see. Eventually, sight became less important to him than his other senses because even though he has good eyesight, he can't rely on it.

However, he doesn't always rely on his other senses to separate reality from illusion. The one sure-fire way he knows something is real is if those around him react to it. However, he has one other recognition strategy that he often uses, normally without even knowing he IS using it. Does what he see make sense to him? For instance, if a shark was swimming through the air he'd know immediately that the shark was a hallucination because sharks can't do that. If he saw a massive beast bearing down on him-for instance, a dragon-he'd immediately recognize it as a hallucination.

So what would happen if the thing he believed to be impossible was confirmed, by his other senses, to be real?

* * *

><p>Zacyr let out a large yawn as he waited. It was time for lunch, and while Zacyr certainly felt a lot better than he had before both Tachine and Kshtsi had insisted that Zacyr just rest to get his strength back.<p>

While he had initially agreed, what Zacyr hadn't planned on was how goddamn long it would take for Tachine and Kshtsi to get the food. In fact . . . now that he thought about it, this was just _too _long. Using the position of the sun he calculated that at least an hour had gone by. Something wasn't right. Had they gotten lost in the forest again?

Soon Zacyr looked around, and he got _really _annoyed when he didn't find any sign of a trail. He had told them to leave a trail back to the clearing in case they got lost again! Kshtsi wasn't one to disobey like that, so the one who was probably responsible for no trail having been left would be Tachine. Ugh, why wouldn't Tachine just _follow his advice _for once!?

Soon Zacyr began searching around the outside of the forest. He'd do this first, and if he didn't find them then he would begin exploring the forest. He didn't even travel for ten minutes before he found something rather interesting. There was a large mansion standing near the forest!

Zacyr leaned against a nearby tree as he pondered what to do now. If there was a mansion nearby . . . then there must have been a village nearby as well! Zacyr could get more Lihalune at the village! After all, he only had one vial left, and that was with Kshtsi at the moment.

However . . . would it be worth it to get more? While the stomach cramps, light headedness and unset stomach weren't nearly as bad as they had been yesterday . . . so far there had been no change in his hallucinations. While yes, the potion wasn't supposed to work until the third day . . . he just felt like there should have been _some _change already.

Wait, he had to focus. While this was interesting, he still had to figure out where Kshtsi and Tachine were. Let's see . . . would they really go into a village without telling Zacyr? He guessed it was _possible_, but . . .

He had no warning. Out of nowhere Zacyr's head began painfully throbbing. It soon passed, but as Zacyr looked back at the Honeycomb Mansion he wondered what the hell caused _. . ._ wait, 'Honeycomb Mansion'? He focused on the mansion again, and to his surprise he felt . . . he just, he knew it. This was Honeycomb Mansion.

Almost as if in response a single picture flashed through Zacyr's mind. It was of the mansion's front side, which he found strange since so far he had only seen the back of it. Had he been here before? Yeah! That was right, he knew this place!

A rather excited Zacyr quickly went into thought. Alright, so he had been here before. But now that he thought about it, the picture that had flashed through his mind . . . if that was from his point of view, he must have been a rather young child at that time. Yeah, that felt right. He even remembered the name of the person who owned the mansion, Lady Beena!

Another image flashed through Zacyr's mind, giving Zacyr a momentary glimpse of a tall, slender woman before the picture faded. Zacyr sighed as he leaned against a tree, still looking at the back of the mansion. So he had been here before as a young child . . . and Lady Beena may have answers about Zacyr's past that he no longer had. Perhaps . . . perhaps he could ask her?

Zacyr began to walk away from the tree and towards the mansion before he remembered Kshtsi and Tachine. What was he _doing? _This was not the time to go to a mansion! Kshtsi and Tachine were still around here somewhere. His first priority was to find Kshtsi and Tachine, and find what was taking them so long.

Zacyr soon put his hand up, intending to make a makeshift visor to shield himself from the sun's angry glare. But the instant that he found the hairy creature scurrying across his skin Zacyr let out a yelp. **_SPIDER!_** Zacyr immediately shook his hand, and when the spider fell to the ground Zacyr immediately crushed it with his foot, breathing heavily as he shivered. He _hated_ spiders!

While yes they were creepy and he just didn't like them period, there was a more practical reason he hated spiders. He hallucinated about them sometimes, and unlike with most of his other hallucinations Zacyr couldn't immediately write off a spider as being fake. They were so light that he couldn't feel them crawl around on him, and they were completely silent. They had no scent either, leaving Zacyr with no way to tell the difference between a fake and a real spider. As such, he had to treat each spider he saw as real.

Fortunately he didn't hallucinate about spiders too often, but most of the time it would lead to some pretty awkward moments. Once Zacyr got his heart rate down to a tolerable level he reminded himself that he still had no idea where Kshtsi and Tachine were. If they had gone back to their camping area then they would be worried about him!

Zacyr took one step into the forest before a scream abruptly tore through his eardrums. It came from the mansion, and while it was definitely feminine it didn't sound like a woman's scream. In fact . . . he knew that scream. _"_**_TACHINE!_**_"_

He immediately, ran towards the mansion. Tachine was inside the mansion, and she needed help! Zacyr raced to the servant's entrance (being a commoner, he wasn't going to use the main door) he immediately began piecing it together. Of course Tachine would enter the mansion. Whether she admitted it or not she was a thief at heart, and a mansion was a gold mine of valuable items to steal. If she stole from Lady Beena . . . oh, they would all be in a _lot_ of trouble. Zacyr quickly entered the mansion, and heard footsteps approaching _very_ quickly.

In almost no time at all Tachine . . . well, to say she ran into view wouldn't do her justice. She was a blur as she ran past. No, that doesn't do it justice either. She so fast that Zacyr didn't have long enough to see if it really _was_ her.

Not that he had that long to think about it. Apparently when Tachine ran past she decided to play catch with Zacyr, and whipped a vial in his direction. Before he could even flinch the vial slammed into his chest and shattered, drenching Zacyr's shirt in a very strong smelling liquid.

Wait . . . Zacyr sniffed the air, and paled as he realized what he had just been hit with. Lady Beena's _perfume!_ Damn it, how was he going to explain this to Lady Beena!? "**_What was that for Ta . . ._**"

Zacyr cut off as Tachine's pursuer came into view. The huge, insect-like creature soon made a strange sound before slowly approaching Zacyr. Zacyr's mind was in complete chaos as he gawked at the creature. _What the hell was this thing?_ It looked a lot like a bee, but _far_ larger than any bee Zacyr had seen before. This thing towered over him, had wings that didn't really make it look like flying was easy for this creature . . . but then again, a bee shouldn't be able to fly anyways. The creature merely continued to walk towards Zacyr, the click of its heel the only sound for miles. This couldn't be happening.

Wait a second! That was it! _It couldn't be real!_ Zacyr sighed in relief. Damn, this was the _second _time a hallucination almost got him! But how was he hearing sound coming from it? That clicking sound its feet . . .

The creature looked at him strangely, but Zacyr cleared his throat as he got his answer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I just . . ."

Zacyr tried to think of a believable reason that he would have gawked at what he now understood was a servant. He wasn't going to tell the servant that he had - and still _was _- hallucinating that the servant was a giant bee monster. When the 'creature' walked towards Zacyr, he had his answer when he heard the click again. Only high heels could make that sound. "Don't you think that those boots are a bit much?"

It wasn't Lady Beena. That much Zacyr knew from the fact that she hadn't spoken yet. In fact the servant didn't reply to his question. It didn't make any noise at all as it got closer to Zacyr. For a moment his mind tried to panic. What if this really _was_ the creature Zacyr was seeing? He immediately countered that with the simplest of explanations. The creature Zacyr was 'seeing' couldn't be real. Eventually the servant was only a few feet away from Zacyr. Still Zacyr stood tall. He wasn't going to let this hallucination get the best of him!

The servant stopped walking closer, and to Zacyr's surprise it started _sniffing_ Zacyr. Well . . . no, this wasn't the creature Zacyr saw, he had to remember that no matter _what_ the servant was doing, it could just be the hallucination doing it. Or maybe the servant was confused to why Zacyr smelled like a bee's favorite flower to pollinate.

"The girl you were chasing - her name's Tachine - threw the vial of perfume at me. That's why I smell like this."

The servant almost got Zacyr to sigh in relief as it backed away. That was proof enough for Zacyr that the thing in front of him _was_ a servant after all. As such Zacyr explained how he had heard Tachine scream, and that was why he had so rudely barged into the mansion.

He was surprised when the servant didn't give any verbal response, but quickly decided the servant must have been mute. No matter, Zacyr still wanted to know the damage Tachine had done, and if he could keep Lady Beena from getting angry at them. "Look, I really am sorry. Is it possible for me to see Lady Beena? Maybe I can explain to her about Tachine?"

Zacyr smiled when the servant nodded, even though it looked quite a bit more like the 'creature' was sizing Zacyr up. Whatever, it was close enough. Zacyr waited, but the servant didn't turn around and begin to lead Zacyr through the mansion. Well, that was new. Maybe this was because it was one of the newer servants? "This is the part where you lead me to her."

Zacyr flinched as the 'creature' made eye-contact. He could almost _feel_ the piercing glare the servant apparently was giving him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Have the rules changed?"

The servant gave an unmistakable nod, which got Zacyr to sigh in relief. So it was more that the servant didn't _know_ where Lady Beena was. "I uh, should I be taking the lead?"

The servant didn't object, so soon Zacyr was walking through the halls with the servant walking behind him. As much as Zacyr tried to tell himself that the 'creature' was actually a servant . . . he kept on turning around and eyeing the servant. Something just didn't feel right about this . . .

It didn't take long before Zacyr saw Tachine. When he called out to her she abruptly bolted away from him. Was she afraid of the servant? Zacyr could only sigh. The shit Tachine got him into . . . "At this rate, she's going to get Kshtsi and I killed."

The servant put a hand on Zacyr's shoulder. Zacyr blushed as he saw the hallucination was still going strong. It almost _felt_ like the hand wasn't human. What was more . . . he had never had a hallucination stay so _consistently_, even when he wasn't looking towards it. But it was okay now. At least the servant was playing more of a part in the conversation. It helped Zacyr to be able to tell that it _was_ a hallucination. "Thanks for the sympathy. You should have seen what she did before, got us run out of a town and demanded I set up traps in the forest. Oh, then she . . ."

* * *

><p>Zacyr wouldn't allow himself to be 'fooled' without undeniable proof that the hallucination was in fact real. Even if his senses told him what he sees is real, he'd immediately look for a more rational explanation: in this case, that he's hallucinating a servant to be a creature. Will he realize his mistake before he is put in serious danger?<p>

And where the _hell_ is Kshtsi?

Update:

'Damn near shattered' was actually supposed to be 'shattered'. I don't know how that happened. Oh, well. It's fixed now, thanks for pointing it out

Update 5/3/2013

Rewritten. I'm going to continue rewriting for now (as I said in the last chapter), and I'm not sure how much of it I will rewrite.


	11. Fiction or Nonfiction

Zacyr has once been to the Honeycomb Mansion before. Does it hold the answers he wants to know? Or have his hallucinations finally gotten the best of him?

Tachine is also confirmed to be in the Honeycomb Mansion. Having attempted to steal Lady Beena's perfume, she soon found that she wasn't the only thing interested in it.

But how did the creature get away from the researchers? Where are Lady Beena, Gill, and Milto? On a related note, where is Kshtsi?

* * *

><p>"So are they looking for me?"<p>

In response to Kshtsi's question both Lady Beena and Gill conversed with each other. It wasn't long before Lady Beena sighed and addressed Kshtsi. "I have not heard that you went missing, but to be fair we are quite some distance away from them. It is possible that the alert just hasn't reached us yet."

He was prepared for the answer, but Kshtsi cringed nonetheless. While _yes_ it was quite possible the alert just hadn't gotten this far . . . it still felt like that meant no one cared that Kshtsi had disappeared. As they had every now and then, his thoughts turned to the . . . well . . . incident. Had his parents actually _meant_ what they had said? And if they knew what Kshtsi was now . . . well, would they still see him as their son? Eventually Gill spoke to Kshtsi, dragging him out of his thoughts. "So you're a +Anima now?"

Kshtsi nodded. Gill soon put a small grin on his face as he looked at his mother. "Well . . . I can't speak for your own parents, but mother here-"

Kshtsi flinched as Lady Beena's face turned a vibrant shade of red, and she looked away. "It was all because Milto didn't explain it! If he had just a bit more sense and had told me before-hand, I wouldn't have . . ."

Kshtsi almost smiled. "Gill, are you saying Lady Beena mistook the creature for-"

Gill's smile broadened. "Me? You are correct, mother believed I had become a +Anima. We're going to find new servants or else relocate the old ones, they all ran away."

Kshtsi chuckled at that. He had seen the creature take off, and had been amused when Gill had ordered Milto to relocate the creature. So this was why Milto was being charged with that task, he had failed to explain the situation to Lady Beena correctly. As such, this was a sort of punishment.

Eventually Kshtsi sighed, even so . . . to lose all of her other servants because of one misunderstanding . . . well, Kshtsi sincerely felt bad for Lady Beena. "If you wish, when . . . _if_ I go home, I shall send some of our servants to you."

Lady Beena overcame her embarrassment and gave a slight smile. "We would appreciate it, Kshtsi. If it's no trouble, could you keep the reason we are out of servants hidden?"

Kshtsi smiled as he nodded. "Of course. I shall simply tell them that it's not their place to know why."

All three of them turned as they heard footsteps approaching quite rapidly. As Tachine ran into view from the doorway, running right past the room and soon getting far enough away that they could no longer hear her footsteps, Gill chuckled. "Something tells me your friend just got on the bad side of the creature. If I may ask, do you have anyone else in your 'group' we should know of? Tachine almost met the wrong end of my blade before you stopped me."

Kshtsi smiled as he remembered that. He shook his head in annoyance, if he had known Tachine had no qualms against stealing from a mansion he wouldn't have brought her here. Hopefully Zacyr didn't-_oh crap!_ "I completely forgot about Zacyr! He's probably wondering where we-"

Kshtsi was surprised when Gill and Lady Beena's eyes opened wide. Gill soon interrupted Kshtsi. "_Zacyr_? Wait, does Zacyr have silver hair, red eyes, and an unusual liking for string?"

Kshtsi was startled as he nodded. "You know of him?"

Gill gave Kshtsi a large grin. "He visited the mansion a while ago with his mother. While that's not that uncommon an occurrence . . . well, Zacyr's one of those people that even if you see him _once_, you'll remember him forever. Right mother?"

Lady Beena nodded as a sympathetic smile appeared on her face. "Of course I remember him. As you said Gill, Zacyr's impossible to forget."

Kshtsi was surprised, but he soon found a smile appearing on his face. "From my understanding, Zacyr is having problems with his memory. If you could-"

"_**GILL-SAMA!**_"

Kshtsi, Lady Beena, and Gill all turned towards the door as a very shaken Milto entered the room. "There's a boy walking the halls! The creature's not _five inches_ behind him, and he's . . . _talking_ to it!"

Gill asked for a description of the boy, and Kshtsi paled as Milto gave a perfect description of Zacyr, right down to the grey shirt Zacyr was fond of even though it was several sizes too large. Gill soon nodded to himself and told Milto to lead them to the creature. While Milto looked extremely nervous at the command he nonetheless led them out of the room. As they walked through the halls Kshtsi's thoughts were racing. Zacyr was . . . "But why? Why would Zacyr . . ."

Gill gave Kshtsi a smile as they walked. "Zacyr suffers from hallucinations. Is it possible he thinks the creature is a hallucination, or that it's really a servant he's hallucinating to be a monster? Poor Zacyr, he's going to _freak_ when he realizes the creature is indeed a creature."

Kshtsi almost laughed at that. He had only seen Zacyr panic when Kshtsi had found out about his hallucinations, and even then Kshtsi really couldn't have called it 'panicking'. It was more a large amount of shock. "I apologize Gill, but we _must_ be thinking of different people. The Zacyr that's been with _us_ took on a _moose_ without even flinching, and . . . well, he's good at keeping himself calm."

Both Gill and Lady Beena turned to face Kshtsi with clear shock. Eventually Gill spoke, sounding quite shocked at what Kshtsi had stated. "_What?_"

Kshtsi was shocked as Lady Beena spoke, her voice also holding the same shock. "Timid little _Zacyr_ actually _attacking _a moose? I . . . I can't believe it, when did Zacyr learn not to panic?"

Kshtsi was completely shocked, _were_ they thinking of different Zacyrs? It may not have been an uncommon name, Kshtsi really wasn't certain, but . . . no, they had to be thinking of the same one. Even if the personalities were different, even conflicting, Gill's physical description of Zacyr was perfect. Not only that, Gill and Lady Beena knew Zacyr suffered from hallucinations.

For a bit there was no other sound than their own footsteps as they walked through the ornately decorated halls. Everything Kshtsi saw reminded him of bees, no matter how tiny a detail. Eventually Kshtsi . . . he just needed to know. "So what can you two tell me about Zacyr?"

Gill soon put a small smile on his face. Lady Beena gave a sympathetic smile, as if she pitied Zacyr. Eventually Lady Beena started the explanation. "Zacyr and his mother came to the mansion for little more than sight-seeing. Timid little Zacyr . . . I simply greeted them, yet that was all it took to make Zacyr panic. He was afraid of everything. His mother was the only thing he trusted, so he had a permanent place at her side, hugging her and shivering in fear . . ."

Kshtsi just couldn't believe it. Zacyr had been . . . _timid_? No, that was _well _beyond timid. Zacyr had been _terrified_ of Lady Beena? If Kshtsi didn't remember that Zacyr suffered from hallucinations, he would likely have accused Lady Beena of lying. However . . . "he was that afraid of his hallucinations?"

Gill was the one who responded, a sad smile on his face and his voice tender. "Yes. From what his mother told us, Zacyr had suffered a very traumatizing event only a _week_ before they visited. That same event appeared to intensify his hallucinations, the number of them that he saw increased dramatically and the detail to each hallucination was greatly improved. Zacyr no longer had a time that he _wasn't_ seeing a hallucination, and . . ."

Gill shivered a bit. Kshtsi was surprised when Lady Beena took control of the explanation, seeing her son couldn't appear to bring himself to say something. "I asked what Zacyr was seeing. I will never forget his reply, it was the only time he addressed everyone but his mother. 'Mice everywhere, crawling over you, me, the walls . . . spiders mixed in with the mice, each one the size of a rat. Eyes on the walls, ceilings, doors, on you, on me . . . on everything. The eyes look evil, full of malicious intent and murderous rage. They aren't human eyes, they don't look like any eyes I have ever seen in nature. Or do they? I don't know, I don't trust my own idea of reality anymore. I can't tell whether they are real or not.' By the time he was done speaking, his voice was shaking so intensely that it was hard to hear what he was saying. It took his mother giving Zacyr a good amount of string before he finally calmed down."

Kshtsi flinched at that. "His mother _gave_ him the string? That's a very . . . unusual way to calm down a child."

Both Gill and his mother smiled at each other. Soon Lady Beena gave their response to Kshtsi. "Those that are close often know each other well. Zacyr has always liked string, because most of his hallucinations won't affect his string. He knew how to make hundreds of different patterns, and many of them were quite complex. I was amazed at the clear creativity he possessed."

Kshtsi had to grin at that. So Zacyr's string was a gift from his mother, did she give him more string whenever he had gotten upset? If that was true, then he must have been _very_ easily upset considering the massive quantities of string Kshtsi had seen Zacyr using. Unlike the bizarre white rope he used, Zacyr used his string often for everything. He had to admit, Zacyr _was_ quite creative with his string.

"And _then_? _Then_ she up and got herself _and_ Kshtsi lost in the forest!"

Kshtsi and the others flinched as they stopped speaking. It didn't take long before they reached the next corner, and Kshtsi was greeted to one of the more . . . _unusual_ scenes in his life.

Zacyr was standing there, a large stain in the middle of his grey shirt. Right behind Zacyr was the creature, leaning close to Zacyr as it followed him. Zacyr immediately stopped when he saw the group. The creature didn't seem to either know or care, it only had eyes for Zacyr. Zacyr looked surprised to see Kshtsi, Lady Beena, Gill, and Milto, but soon impressed Kshtsi when he put a hand to his chest. "Lady Beena and Gill-sama, it's an honor t-"

At that moment the creature leaned particularly close to Zacyr, and Kshtsi flinched as a decent sized glob of spit dropped from the creature's mouth, landing with a rather revolting _splat_ on Zacyr's left shoulder. Zacyr stopped the introduction in complete shock before turning around and facing the creature. "You have _serious_ issues. On a related note, _never_ do that again."

The creature gave no reaction, which got Zacyr to shake his head. "I will say it again. There's something _seriously_ wrong with you."

Kshtsi couldn't help it, he chuckled at Zacyr's bravado. Of course, he couldn't just leave Zacyr with the idea that the creature was a servant. "So Zacyr, you . . . um . . . ok, how do I say this . . ."

Gill soon grinned at Kshtsi before clearing his throat. "Zacyr, can you help us with something?"

Zacyr flinched, but soon gave a small bow to Gill. "O-of course, Gill-sama."

Gill smiled before clearing his throat. When he spoke, his voice was very calm, though it sounded like he was trying to keep from laughing. "You see Zacyr, I found an egg in the basement a bit of time ago. I left the egg with Milto, who has now informed me that the egg has hatched. After Milto fed it some honey, the creature rapidly grew into a large bee-like creature. Eventually all the servants fled, and when I returned I found the creature unconscious in a room. It has, however, escaped. You wouldn't happen to have seen any large bee-like creatures, have you?"

Zacyr flinched, quickly turning around and facing the creature. A good twenty seconds later, he turned back around. Kshtsi was amazed at how calm Zacyr still looked as he spoke. "You uh, wouldn't happen to have any specifics on the creature's location, would you?"

Gill gave a slight chuckle as he nodded towards Zacyr. "Yes. According to eye-witness testimony from four reliable witnesses, it is approximately two or three feet behind you, and it's recent list of crimes stops with it having drooled on your shoulder, very rudely interrupting your otherwise _perfect_ greeting."

Zacyr cringed as he looked back at the creature. "Ah, so it is. I uh . . . oops."

For a bit of time Zacyr simply looked back at the creature. The creature suddenly fluttered its wings and Zacyr shook his head. "This just got very socially awkward."

When Zacyr turned back around to face the group, Kshtsi was quite surprised at the clear embarrassment in Zacyr's expression. Okay, maybe that was the wrong way to say it. Kshtsi was quite surprised at the lack of _fear_ in Zacyr's expression, he didn't look afraid of the creature in any way. Eventually Kshtsi just had to ask. "Zacyr, I understand that you're trying to keep your cool, but if you freaked out about now, I wouldn't hold it against you."

Zacyr gave a slight grin before he moved. Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr actually got closer to the creature, then against any normal person's instincts Zacyr rubbed a hand up and down it's back. Kshtsi was shocked as the creature let out a content hum before falling forwards, hitting the ground with a solid _thud_.

It was only when Kshtsi saw the content expression on the creature's face that he finally realized what had just happened. Zacyr chuckled as he gently rubbed the creature's back, the creature soon giving a solid, continuous hum to signify its content. "If it wanted me dead, well . . . I _dare-say_ that it had _more_ than enough time to do that. Remember Kshtsi, I suffer from hallucinations. As such, I was forced to learn not to judge _anything_ by how they look."

Kshtsi was amazed as Zacyr smiled at them. "Not everything is as terrifying as it appears."

Kshtsi smiled as Lady Beena beamed at Zacyr. "Zacyr, you have improved _immensely_. I'm in complete awe, you are no longer the young boy that couldn't tell reality from illusion."

Zacyr gave a deep bow to Lady Beena, holding it for a few seconds. "I thank you, Lady Beena."

Kshtsi grinned as Zacyr smiled at him, but then Zacyr suddenly flinched. "_Hey!_ Kshtsi, _what are you doing?_ We are _commoners,_ you can't just stand next to Lady Beena! That's disrespectful!"

Kshtsi blushed as both Lady Beena and Gill looked at him in shock. Kshtsi gulped, he . . . well, maybe he could get away with telling _part_ of the truth? "Zacyr, I uh . . . well . . ."

Gill must have realized Kshtsi's problem, and to Kshtsi's shock Gill butted in. "Zacyr, you are incorrect. Kshtsi can stand equal to us because . . . because he _is_ equal to us."

Kshtsi blushed as Zacyr's eyes and mouth opened wide, giving such a comical dumbstruck look that Kshtsi almost had to fight not to laugh. Fortunately, his own guilt helped to keep him from laughing. It was a while before Zacyr suddenly snapped out of it, now eyeing Kshtsi . . . differently. "I . . . I'm at a loss for words."

Kshtsi had to admit, so was he. How could he explain to Zacyr why he had hidden that from him? If Kshtsi was honest with himself, then the real reason he had kept his status a secret was because . . . well, he had never really _had_ a friend before. He knew Zacyr was going to treat him differently now, there was no way that . . . "I-"

Kshtsi was shocked as Zacyr noisily cleared his throat. When Kshtsi looked up at Zacyr he was shocked to find Zacyr nodding towards the creature. Sometime during their conversation the creature must have gotten back up, and it was now standing a few feet behind Zacyr again. "Can anyone explain why the creature's following me?"

Lady Beena was clearly still startled at Kshtsi, but she soon gave her response. "From what I understand of it, the creature enjoys the smell of my perfume. It's following you because it enjoys your smell."

Zacyr frowned as he looked down at the stain on his shirt. "Oh, lovely."

While Kshtsi almost chuckled at Zacyr's 'predicament', Gill spoke up. "Well, the way I see it Zacyr the creature's not as interested in _you _as it is interested in your _shirt_. As such, if you just take off the shirt it should lose interest in you."

Kshtsi wasn't entirely certain what happened next. There was a strange look in Zacyr's eyes, as if he was alarmed at what Gill had said. But the look only appeared for less than a second, it was gone so quick that Kshtsi wasn't certain it had ever been there to begin with. When Zacyr spoke Kshtsi focused enough to listen. "I beg your pardon? Take off my shirt in front of a _lady?_ I think _not!_"

Kshtsi gave a slight grin, but had to admit Zacyr had a point there. Gill gave a grin as he nodded to a room, and soon commanded Milto to help Zacyr find another shirt. This time Kshtsi focused on Zacyr's eyes, and he no longer had any doubt. Something about the idea was alarming Zacyr, but yet again Zacyr hid his fear under a rather calm expression. "Don't worry about it, I have my other shirt with me."

As Zacyr quickly entered the room Gill turned to face Kshtsi. "You never told them?"

Kshtsi gulped, he knew this was coming. "I . . . look, I just . . . I don't know what to do. I'm not even certain I want to go back home, but . . ."

Gill soon had a decent-sized smirk on his face. "Just need some time to figure this out?"

Kshtsi nodded, and he was both surprised and moved when both Gill and Lady Beena promised to keep it a secret. Almost right after they did, every head turned as Zacyr came out of the room, wearing his black shirt and holding his grey one. "Done."

All of them were quite surprised at that, Zacyr was one fast changer. Soon Gill got Kshtsi to grin as he told Milto to lead the creature to the main stairway, where the researchers were trying to find out how to capture the creature. Milto timidly agreed, but soon they all noticed something strange.

The creature was still staying around Zacyr, no matter what Milto tried to get its attention. It was a little bit before Zacyr suddenly hit himself in the forehead. "Of course. I still smell of perfume, I got just as much of it on me as what got on the shirt!"

Zacyr gave a small grunt of annoyance, but then he closed his eyes and focused intently. Not ten seconds later his eyes flew open and he snapped his fingers. "I got it!"

* * *

><p>I am certain some of the readers have questions for me. As such, I feel I should answer them right here.<p>

For those of you who say 'WHAT? HOW COULD ZACYR KEEP HIS COOL LIKE THAT!' There's a very simple explanation. Zacyr has learned from his past, and tries to remain calm no matter the situation. Also, as he said: if the creature wished him harm, it probably would have attacked him right away.

When I looked at the manga, something about it bugged me. So the creature's fearsome, and would go to great lengths to achieve it's honey. So how did Lady Beena keep from getting hurt? I eventually came to the conclusion that it was her perfume: the creature enjoys the smell of her perfume, and it would calm the creature down.

As such, when someone gets a good deal of the perfume spilled onto their selves, the creature would naturally stay around the person in order to be near the scent of the perfume. Zacyr, who learned sometime between his first and second visit to Honeycomb Mansion that not everything is as fearsome as it seems, was the perfect target. Not only would he keep his cool when he learned the creature was real, he would even be able to quickly turn the situation around.

So what is his plan to free himself from the creature? If I told you it right now, it would be a spoiler. The next chapter won't take long to appear.

Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated!


	12. Caught In The Act

Whew, finally finished. I almost missed my own personal deadline. So . . . *ahem*

In my mind, there are two different styles to thievery. For ease of reference, I will call them 'thief of the body' and 'thief of the mind'.

The thief of the body is the one that will take advantage of superior physical abilities, such as speed (the hit-and-run technique that Tachine uses) or power (the thug). They may toy with the victim's mind slightly, but it's all to get them into position so they will have the upper hand.

Now a thief of the mind is a different style entirely. These use their superior intelligence to trick the victim into giving up the valuables. A true master of this technique can rob a person without them knowing until it's _far_ too late to do anything about it.

* * *

><p>Zacyr subtly eyed Kshtsi as they, Lady Beena, and Gill spoke with the delighted researchers. So Kshtsi was a young master himself . . . Zacyr had misjudged him. This explained quite a bit actually, but it also opened many more questions. How did the son of a lord end up drifting in the ocean? Zacyr sighed as he shook his head, forcing himself to listen to the conversation. Kshtsi had kept Zacyr's secret, so it was only fair for Zacyr to let Kshtsi hold his own secrets.<p>

The perfume-soaked researchers were thanking the group repeatedly. Meanwhile, the creature was right behind one of them, no longer interested in Zacyr now that a much larger source of the perfume was in the area. "This is _perfect!_ The creature will passively follow us so we can study it with no threat to our beings!"

The other researchers nodded excitedly. "Yeah, this is incredible! How did you think of this?"

Zacyr's face turned a good shade of scarlet as he looked the other way. "I uh . . . i-it was just a hunch. I noticed it wasn't . . . you know, trying to kill me. And . . . well, we realized it was because of the perfume that it was following me."

One of the researchers looked rather confused. "What do you mean? You don't have any perfume on you right now."

Zacyr grinned as he heard footsteps headed over to them. He turned around quickly, smiling when he saw Milto holding Zacyr's now perfume-free grey shirt. Zacyr was surprised at how tired Milto looked. It must have taken a good amount of work to get the perfume out of his shirt. "Ok, I . . . got it now."

Zacyr thanked Milto as he grabbed his shirt, soon putting it in his pack. As he did, the researchers began speaking again. "From what we know, the creature must use scent as one of its primary senses. Not only that, it responds to the smell of flowers by passively investigating the source."

Zacyr nodded, that made sense. It also made sense that there must have been other smells that could get a response from the creature, but what smells those would be Zacyr wasn't too certain. As he asked about whether the creature could actually fly with those wings, they all heard a loud cry of shock. Zacyr turned around to find Tachine standing there, her mouth wide open as she took in the scene in front of her. Eventually Zacyr chuckled as Kshtsi started to speak.

That was when the buzzing noise filled the air. Zacyr was the first to notice it and he turned around in time to see the creature knock two researchers back before taking off into the air. Zacyr was shocked as the creature quickly flew over the group, headed right for . . . "_**TACHINE!**_"

Tachine quickly turned around to leave, but the creature was too fast. Kshtsi and Zacyr both raced forwards as the creature knocked Tachine to the ground. Zacyr grabbed out some rope as Kshtsi allowed his +Anima tentacles form. They weren't going to let the creature hurt her! They didn't even get over twenty feet over when the creature reached into the back of Tachine's robes, and they both screeched to a stop as the entire situation changed.

Zacyr couldn't help it, he laughed as the creature pulled out a large jar of honey from Tachine's robes. So _that_ was it, the creature had smelled the honey and wanted it for itself! Now, as for how Tachine had gotten the honey in the first place . . . "_Damn it Tachine!_ Can't you go _five minutes_ inside of a building without robbing it?"

Tachine surprised Zacyr when she glared viciously at him, but both Zacyr and Kshtsi chuckled as they both 'holstered' their 'weapons'. As Kshtsi spoke to Tachine, Zacyr looked at the creature. He couldn't help but grin as he saw the creature trying to open the jar, and against his better judgment he walked over to the creature.

The creature noticed him, but paid Zacyr little attention until Zacyr actually touched the jar. As he expected, the creature wasn't too happy with it, and tried to knock him back a ways. Zacyr snuck under the creature's long arm and quickly yanked off the cover for the honey before backing away. The creature looked back down at the honey, and soon Zacyr chuckled as the creature made many '_SLURRRRRP'_ing sounds.

It didn't take the creature long to finish the jar of honey, but as Zacyr turned around to head over to the group he was startled as the creature put a firm hand on Zacyr's shoulder. At first Zacyr was slightly nervous, but he grinned as he felt the ground shake slightly, chuckling as he turned to find the bee 'kneeling' before Zacyr. "Oh alright"

Zacyr chuckled some more as he walked behind the creature, soon gently rubbing it's back as it let out a content hum, slightly vibrating under Zacyr's treatment. Kshtsi soon laughed as Tachine was shocked to silence, but after about a minute Zacyr stopped. "Alright, I think that's enough. It's been fun."

Soon Zacyr, Kshtsi, and Tachine were walking out of the mansion as Lady Beena and Gill waved goodbye. Once the three of them were far enough away that they couldn't see Lady Beena and Gill, Kshtsi grinned at Zacyr. "I loved that when Tachine was in trouble you went for your rope. Wouldn't the daggers have been more . . . you know, useful?"

Zacyr laughed. "Hey, you can't talk! You put on a _skirt_ to help!"

Kshtsi shook his head in amusement, but Zacyr soon learned Tachine didn't share this humor. Zacyr just didn't turn around fast enough to react in time as Tachine's foot was introduced to the side of Zacyr's head. His thoughts were scrambled by the force of the hit. By the time he got them sorted out again, he found Tachine glaring at him. "At least _he_ isn't the one that just decided to act like a _moron_ and let the damn freak of nature follow him!"

Zacyr shook his head as he got to his feet. He had a hard time balancing himself. _Damn_ Tachine had a good leg! "Fine, you got me there. Don't you think that was . . . you know, a bit harsh?"

Tachine grinned. "That? No, not at all. Now _this_"

Before, Tachine had gotten Zacyr by surprise. This time he was paying attention, and narrowly got out of range of Tachine's knee as she attempted to introduce Zacyr's groin to it. His head was still throbbing from the earlier hit, but he heard Tachine state that they were going to skip the next village. Zacyr immediately looked up, that was bad! He still needed to refill his Lihalune! "Wait, why do we need to skip the next village?"

Zacyr and Kshtsi flinched in shock as Tachine glared viciously at the mansion. "The more distance we put between us and that _bitch_, the better!"

Zacyr was completely speechless as Tachine turned and headed for the forest. "We're going back to the place we stopped before and then skipping this village."

Why though? Zacyr didn't understand, what . . . had Lady Beena said something to Tachine? He looked back at the village, worried . . . how could he do this?

When he felt a hand slip him quite a few gold coins Zacyr flinched. He turned around and faced Kshtsi in shock, but Kshtsi spoke before Zacyr could ask. "I'll do what I can to calm Tachine down. You'll have to enter the village by yourself, we'll be waiting where she said."

Zacyr smiled and nodded at Kshtsi, who soon walked for the forest. Now that Zacyr knew what to look for, he was surprised to find that Kshtsi even _walked_ like a noble. Had he walked like that before, or was it just that Zacyr now knew what to look for? Eventually Zacyr shook off that thought. He still had to get the Lihalune.

So let's see here . . . before Kshtsi's generous donation, Zacyr had twenty coins. Now he had a total of seventy. He could get more than three this time, what about-no, focus. He didn't want to grab too many at one time. It was after he saw a white mouse suddenly crawl out of his shirt and along his arm that Zacyr remembered something else.

The old woman had said that Lihalune doesn't always work for people, and there had been no change in his hallucinations since the first dose. While the woman had also said that it required time to build up in his system, Zacyr wondered . . . wouldn't he be seeing _some_ difference by now? Maybe buying more would be a mistake . . . if he waited too long to admit it didn't work, he could get addicted to them.

Let's see here . . . but she had also said that the _minimum_ amount of time before it would start working was three days, and it was only day two. Eventually Zacyr sighed again, not even flinching as he found a demonic eye on his palm. That would actually be kind of cool to have, but-focus, focus. Zacyr finally began heading towards the village. He'd just buy three more, see if it worked after a few days . . . besides, if he gave the vials to Kshtsi then Kshtsi could stop Zacyr if he was getting obsessive over it.

It didn't take him long to enter the village, but he suddenly realized there was a problem. Unlike Kshtsi, Zacyr couldn't read. He hated asking other people which building was the alchemist's shop, but . . . maybe he could guess by the letters? He didn't know what they would _mean_, but . . . he just had to remember how the other shop's glyphs had looked . . . let's see . . .

Zacyr cringed as he eyed a good deal of nearby shops, all right next to one another. While each one had glyphs on them, Zacyr had no idea where to look. Some of the glyphs were so similar in design, he just couldn't tell which one was the right shop. What was more, there weren't many people here that he could ask, and it felt wrong to enter a 'shop' and ask where the Alchemist shop was.

"You look lost, boy."

Zacyr flinched as he turned around, here was someone he could ask! "Well . . . I . . ."

Zacyr trailed off as he looked at the man. _Holy shit_. This man towered over Zacyr, and . . . well, he looked like he could have taken on the bee creature in a fight and win. Those muscles were _huge_, and scars riddled the man's body. Topping it all off was a large scar that ran down the left side of his face, and whatever had given him that scar had cost him his left eye. His other eye was blue, and the man's relatively short and well-kept hair was blonde.

The man stood there, showing expression on his face as he eyed Zacyr. For a bit Zacyr couldn't get his voice to work, but he eventually took in a deep breath. The voice hadn't been said threateningly, he had to remember not to judge. "Sorry. I need to find the Alchemist shop, but . . . I can't read."

A broad smile appeared on the man's face. "Ah. The Alchemist shop is right over there."

As he spoke, the man pointed at a small shop that Zacyr would have missed if it hadn't been pointed out. The man then chuckled as he gestured towards the scars on his face. "Let me give you some advice kid. When a woman asks you if you think that they're fat, the answer is not 'I don't _THINK_ your fat'."

Zacyr broke out into a wide grin of his own and thanked the man for his help. Zacyr chuckled as he walked over to the store, at least the man had good humor to help set off his intimidating look.

When Zacyr entered the building he was quite surprised to see the young boy leaning on the counter. The look on the boy's face clearly stated that there were quite a few different areas he'd rather be than here. The boy's blonde hair was well kept, and his blue eyes were right now looking out the window. It took Zacyr clearing his throat before the boy finally reacted to him, speaking to Zacyr as if Zacyr was lower than dirt. "What do you want?"

Zacyr wasn't about to anger the boy. The boy could easily just not sell to Zacyr, which would make the situation much worse. "I'm here to buy three Lihalune."

The boy looked quite startled at that, and soon looked Zacyr over. Eventually a smirk appeared on the boy's face. "Huh, didn't picture you as the type to hallucinate. Alright."

Zacyr ignored the blow to his pride. As the boy looked for the potion Zacyr looked around the shop. It really didn't look much like a shop, and reminded Zacyr of a living room that had a large counter dividing the door from the rest of the house. Did the boy live here?

The boy suddenly cleared his throat, and Zacyr flinched as he saw the boy had grabbed out three vials, all of a transparent pinkish liquid. Zacyr almost reached for his gold before he suddenly realized something.

The glyphs on one of the vials were different than the other ones. Zacyr almost stated that it wasn't Lihalune before he realized he could be wrong, what if the other two vials were the ones that were wrong? Eventually Zacyr sighed as he grabbed out one of the empty vials he had before. Let's see . . . no, the glyphs matched those two so it was the third one that was wrong. After Zacyr mentioned that, the boy picked up the last one and looked at it. "Hmm? Now how did that get put in with the Lihalune? Good catch."

Zacyr was surprised at the sudden change in the boy's personality, but . . . well, he certainly wasn't complaining. As the boy got another vial of Lihalune, he smiled at Zacyr, who was already reaching for the gold in his pocket.

"That's a total of 120 coins."

Zacyr flinched, _what?_ "For three Lihalune? That's 40 coins a vial!"

The boy flinched then nodded. "Yeah. That _is_ the price."

Zacyr couldn't believe it. "B-but I got it for _ten_ coins in the last village!"

The boy flinched again, a hand going to his chin. "Hmm . . . let me check the book."

Zacyr watched as the boy grabbed out a large book. As the boy went through the pages, Zacyr thought about it. The boy _had_ to have been wrong! There had to be hundreds of different things they made, he had to have gotten the price-

"40 coins. That's what it says right here."

Zacyr frowned, no way. If that was right, why was the boy holding the book so Zacyr couldn't see it? Not that he would understand what was written, but the boy didn't know of Zacyr's inability to read. "Can I see it?"

The boy shrugged, and Zacyr was taken aback when the boy handed him the book. "Lihalune's right here. As you can clearly see, that's 40 coins."

Zacyr couldn't believe it. The glyphs had no meaning to him, but the boy had confidently shown Zacyr the book. He wouldn't have done that if the price was anything else, he didn't know that Zacyr couldn't read. Eventually Zacyr set down the book. "I . . . I can't pay it. I only have enough gold to buy one of the vials. I . . . but it was only _ten_ coins in . . . I don't understand."

The boy gave Zacyr a kind smile. "Some of the larger villages sell it for less because they get better business. But we can't do that, we'd be out of gold faster than you can blink. Even _with_ the amount that we charge, we _still_ barely make ends meet."

Zacyr gulped. He had never thought that the price would be different here, but what the boy said kind of made sense. What did Zacyr know about different villages, and how they charged stuff? Still . . . how could he do this? It was just too much for him to pay.

"Hmm . . . if I halved the price, would you be able to pay?"

Zacyr flinched, then nodded. The boy smiled broadly at Zacyr. "Alright, that's a total of sixty coins. Think of it as an apology for my earlier behavior. Something's been bugging me."

Zacyr was touched. Well . . . it wasn't like he was going to buy anything else. "O-okay, thanks for l-"

Both Zacyr and the boy turned as they heard a tapping, and Zacyr did not expect what he saw. The same man with one working eye was standing outside of an open window, scowling at the boy. "I've been here since he walked in, Edreg."

The boy paled as he backed away from the window. "_D-dad!_ W-what . . . b-but you . . ."

The man entered through the window, and the boy backed away even more. As the man grabbed the book and looked at it, the boy cringed. "Let's see here . . . yep, just as I thought. Lihalune, 10 coins."

Zacyr felt like he had been struck by lightning. "What? But h-he even showed me the book so confidently, he wouldn't have done that-"

"-unless he knew you couldn't read. That vial of a different liquid was _no_ accident! He wanted to see if you could read it, when you had to grab out a vial to compare he immediately realized it was because you couldn't actually _read_ the word. As such, he made up that it was _four times the cost_, and when he realized you still were having difficulty believing it he won you over by _halving_ the price. Then when I came home, what was he going to do? Pocket the extra money, _**right?**_"

The boy looked away, a very clear fear in his eyes as he refused to respond. Zacyr realized that the boy's father wasn't done though. "Did you think I was stupid? I've had customers come up to me and complain about you, _boy_. And when that one girl entered town, I knew right away something was off when you handed her a _golden_ necklace. You can't afford that on how much of the profit you're supposed to be getting. Now you and I are going to have a talk after I'm done with our current customer. Get the hell out of my sight for now."

The boy quickly left the room, and almost the instant he was out of sight his father sighed. "Sorry about this kid. That's 30 coins."

Zacyr sighed as he brought out 30 coins. "I understand, there's one in every family."

The man grinned wide as he signed the receipt for Zacyr. "Oh, you have _no_ idea. Whenever I hear that my ex-wife's coming here I bring out the 'closed' sign, barricade the door, and hide the money."

Zacyr smiled as he grabbed the Lihalune, but as the door opened both of them looked. Zacyr was startled to see Kshtsi breathing heavily, clearly in thought about something. "Kshtsi?"

Kshtsi looked up at Zacyr, and asked if Zacyr was almost done. "Tachine's so damn high-strung right now . . . we need to hurry or else she is going to leave us behind."

Zacyr grinned as he showed Kshtsi the vials, soon handing them to Kshtsi. Kshtsi and Zacyr made for the door, but as Kshtsi left the room the man called out for Zacyr to come back for a moment.

-POV change: Kshtsi-

Kshtsi was surprised when he looked behind him to find Zacyr _just_ leaving the Alchemist's shop. "Hmm? What's the holdup?"

Zacyr simply gave a slight smile. "Nothing. Owner just wanted to apologize, his son tried to take advantage of my illiteracy."

Kshtsi flinched. "He . . . _ouch._ Huh, you should have complained and seen if you could have gotten something more out of that."

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi. "Nah, we really can't think like that with Tachine on the group."

Kshtsi gave a weak grin at that. He wondered . . . should he tell Zacyr what he had learned about Tachine? No, it would only stress him. Kshtsi was still trying to figure it out himself. He had _seriously_ misjudged Tachine before, he had to watch her much more carefully now. "Is something wrong, Kshtsi?"

With a sigh Kshtsi shook his head. "Nothing. We just . . . we need to find Tachine quickly."

While Zacyr seemed surprised he didn't question it. "Alright."

Fortunately, it didn't take too long to find her. Tachine was just a little bit farther down the path, still fuming in anger. When she looked at them Kshtsi immediately got between her and Zacyr. She glared at Zacyr, but soon the three of them were continuing on their way, Tachine in the lead.

"Psst"

Kshtsi looked at Zacyr, who nodded to Tachine. "Why did you step in-between? If I didn't know any better I would have thought you were expecting her to _lunge_ at me."

Kshtsi gave a weak smile. Zacyr didn't need to know yet. "It's a good thing you know me better then."

Zacyr rolled his eyes, but thankfully he left it at that. "So where are we going next?"

Kshtsi almost told Zacyr to read the sign that they had _just_ passed, but then he remembered that Zacyr _couldn't_. "Place called Octopus. I've heard of it, it's a pretty decent-sized place that is rumored to have been built on top of an ancient city. It's got a few problems with pickpockets though."

* * *

><p>You have seen one of the skilled thief of the mind techniques: the boy named Edreg. Coming up, the thief of the body shall be viewed.<p>

Now let me explain the destination. Zacyr, Kshtsi, and Tachine are going in the OPPOSITE direction than Cooro's group is. That means that next up is Octopus, followed by Abon village. Now what's going to happen after that? I'm not entirely certain, but I'm working on it.


	13. Tangled Webs We Weave

Three days have passed since the group has left the village near Honeycomb Mansion. I personally do not enjoy time-skips, believing them to be lazy and unprofessional . . . but I also have to admit they help when you don't have the patience to write fifty pages of filler. While I may make a chapter to help fill in any events I think should happen for this time-skip, for now we join the group as they close in on Octopus.

* * *

><p>Kshtsi sighed in relief as Octopus came into sight. He had become worried that the path would never end. The journey here had been so nerve-wrecking for Kshtsi. He had tensed up every time that Tachine had <em>looked<em> at Zacyr. If he had known . . . _that_ the first time he had met Tachine, her sudden hair-trigger towards Zacyr would have made _much_ more sense.

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi as they began to approach the city of Octopus. Unlike Kshtsi's frayed nerves, Zacyr was never better. On the first day in during the journey Zacyr had excitedly pulled Kshtsi aside to let Kshtsi know that Zacyr hadn't seen a _single_ hallucination since he had taken the third Lihalune. Kshtsi had been delighted to hear that, so the Lihalune worked like a charm. Even better, the side-effects were decreasing in intensity. Zacyr very rarely winced and put a hand to his stomach now, and he was eating just as much as Kshtsi and Tachine were.

Tachine had calmed down as well, but now Kshtsi knew what to look for in her. Her anger towards Zacyr showed every now and then, she would subtly glare at Zacyr when he was looking elsewhere. There would be a tinge of anger if Zacyr didn't help with something, and she would momentarily lose her temper if Zacyr asked one of them for help. However, the requirements to 'punish' Zacyr for an act done wrong were getting more and more lenient. It was to the point that if Zacyr even _looked_ at Kshtsi wrong, Tachine would lose her temper.

Of course Zacyr was noticing that last part as well. He had asked Kshtsi about it, but Kshtsi always made up an excuse to change the subject. Kshtsi was torn. He _knew_ he'd have to tell Zacyr sooner or later that it was only on Kshtsi's _insistence_ that Tachine hadn't left Zacyr behind, that in her eyes Zacyr 'was just another human', but how could he? How could he just go up to Zacyr and say 'hey by the way Tachine has a very strong grudge against normal people. So if Tachine goes on a rant about how she can't believe I 'allow' you to be in the group, that's why'?

When Kshtsi had earlier spoken to Tachine as Zacyr had gone to get the Lihalune, he had _not_ expected what Tachine told him. How could she even _suggest_ that they leave Zacyr behind? What worried him the most was . . . he had asked Tachine how she would have felt if Zacyr died because of something she did. Tachine had stated, quite plainly, that if Zacyr didn't learn his place soon then he _was_ going to die as a result of her actions.

However, the reasoning that Tachine had given also told Kshtsi that Tachine was mistaking some of Zacyr's excuses to hide his 'condition' as ways to avoid doing work. Kshtsi had no doubt that if someone told her about Zacyr's hallucinations, as well as explained _why_ he had needed to go to the village (instead of 'to rally the humans against his +Anima 'friends'' as she had put it) Tachine would not only calm down but even apologize.

Of course the issue with telling her that was that Zacyr would hate Kshtsi for giving away his secret and might even leave the group. Kshtsi couldn't think of anything that would be worse for Zacyr than separating from the group while having the feeling that Kshtsi had betrayed him. Zacyr wouldn't think rationally, he'd probably blame his hallucinations for the 'betrayal' . . . and that meant he would probably start experimenting with Lihalune. From what Kshtsi knew of Lihalune it didn't sound like something that would be smart to experiment with. No one had told them yet what actually would happen if Lihalune was taken during a full moon, and if Zacyr decided to test that . . . well, it could end _very_ badly.

On top of all the stress he felt from this conundrum, Kshtsi also had his own secret. Tachine still had no clue to Kshtsi's past, and Zacyr only had a slight hint from Gill. He just didn't want to tell them, and it was probably in their best interests to not know. Not only that . . . Kshtsi knew he should be heading back to his family, but . . . did he really _want_ to? After _that_ happened, did they really mean what they had said? Kshtsi didn't know what to do, he actually had _friends_ now! Tachine had no clue what Kshtsi really was, she only knew he was a +Anima and that was _all_ she cared about.

Zacyr of course knew a bit more. Even though he had technically been _wrong_ with his guess to who Kshtsi was, he wasn't all that far off. He seemed to enjoy Kshtsi's presence not because Kshtsi was a +Anima, but because Kshtsi was sympathetic to Zacyr's condition. While it was nice to have people care about him Kshtsi was also concerned . . . _was_ this how friendship worked?

Kshtsi was taken out of his thoughts when Zacyr spoke up. "Alright, now _that_'s what I'm talking about! This place is _huge!_"

With a smile on his face Kshtsi nodded. That was a good way to say it, Octopus was _huge_. Kshtsi gave a smile at Tachine, who nodded with a grin of her own. It was so strange, she didn't seem to mind 'normal' people so long as she didn't have to converse with them. Kshtsi flinched as Tachine reached into the bag on her side, soon counting out a hundred coins. "Okay, same deal as before. I'll give you fifty coins, think of it as income. Spend it on whatever you want and-"

Zacyr chuckled before he interrupted. "Wait for you to come blazing past us with someone hot on your tail, got it. Do you think you can refrain for just a _tiny_ bit longer this time? I'm pretty excited at the idea of exploring this place."

Kshtsi quickly eyed Tachine, catching a momentary, murderous glare in Zacyr's direction before Tachine once again got a hold on her emotions. "_Fine_, whatever. Here's your 50 . . ."

Kshtsi smiled as Tachine distributed the coins. Let's see here, that meant Kshtsi had a total of 50, since he had given his share to Zacyr before Zacyr went to the village next to Honeycomb Mansion. Let's see . . . if Zacyr had had 70 coins entering, and he had only bought the three vials of Lihalune-which only one remained . . . 40 coins, then add 50 . . . he had 90 coins right now.

Tachine had as many coins as she wanted. She still held the two bags she had originally stolen, and if she was confident enough to give out 100 coins for each town they passed (Kshtsi no longer believed Tachine would use the money herself) then the total amount _had_ to be at least in the thousands. She then told them to go wild, but to meet back at evening. Considering it was still morning at the moment that was a good chunk of time.

Once she left the area Kshtsi helped Zacyr with the replenishing of his Lihalune storage. Surprisingly, nothing too out-of-the-ordinary happened with it. Zacyr asked the shop owner for Lihalune, the shop owner got it out for him, Zacyr paid for it (after Kshtsi made Zacyr's signature for him) and soon Kshtsi had _four_ more Lihalune in his pack. He had gotten one more because he wasn't entirely certain how far away the next area would be, and he had no guarantee that it would have Lihalune for sale.

Zacyr had smiled as he told Kshtsi that he was going to go explore the area. Kshtsi was shocked as Zacyr stated Kshtsi was free to join him. Kshtsi smiled back, but respectfully declined. As Zacyr dashed off Kshtsi checked the news board in the middle of the street. He looked through it for any mention of his name, but found none.

He didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. The same thing Lady Beena had stated to Kshtsi applied here as well, perhaps the news of the incident just hadn't gotten here yet? Kshtsi was too busy wondering about it to notice the rapidly approaching footsteps.

Kshtsi was shocked as someone ran right into him. Before Kshtsi could really understand what was going on he saw a girl wearing a strange helmet with an 'x' drawn on the front of it sprinting away from him, having grabbed the pack Kshtsi kept all of his stuff in. Kshtsi tried to follow the thief, but it only took two turns before she lost him.

This was bad! She had just stolen his bag! That was where Kshtsi kept Zacyr's Lihalune! Kshtsi couldn't believe it, he had just been robbed! Kshtsi quickly searched the area. He had to get the bag back! Eventually Kshtsi was shocked to find a doorway that led into some sort of cave underneath the city. So this was where the girl had gone? Damn, Kshtsi wasn't good at finding his way around in the dark but . . . he _had_ to get the bag back! As such, he moved to walk through the doorway.

Kshtsi was shocked as he felt a hand firmly grab his shoulder. When he turned around Kshtsi found himself face to face with a grinning Zacyr. "I think _not_, Kshtsi. It's way too dark for you to navigate."

Kshtsi gulped, how was he going to explain this to Zacyr? Before he had a chance to try, Zacyr chuckled. "I saw the entire thing, and reacted accordingly. The girl may not know it, but she's already gotten caught in my web. It doesn't matter where the girl travels, I won't be far behind."

As Kshtsi moved out of the doorway Zacyr slowly walked in. "When you suffer from hallucinations you have to learn to rely on your other senses. You stay up here Kshtsi. I'll get the bag back."

* * *

><p>How can this be? How has Zacyr trapped the girl within his web? Even if you ignore that, he has no idea that it is not just one girl, but an entire gang of them. Will Zacyr be able to get his precious Lihalune back, or has he bitten off more than he can chew?<p> 


	14. The Visitor

We last left off with Zacyr traveling into the underground area of Octopus. But what did he mean by the girl getting tangled in his web? Can he find them and get back Kshtsi's bag without a fight?

* * *

><p>Sammy was really excited as she showed Deli the bag of food she had gotten from some guy. "I got something!"<p>

Deli smiled as she went through the food. "Yeah, you got a_ lot_ of stuff!"

Sammy swelled with pride as the other girls congratulated her. This was her first really big steal! She was getting _awesome!_ As she did a victory dance many of the other girls laughed and clapped their hands.

Sammy and the other girls soon turned towards the door as Erika entered the base, holding a large bag. "Jackpot!"

As she set down the bag, Sammy ran up to her. "Hey, hey! I just got a lot of food from some guy!"

Erika smiled down at Sammy, soon rubbing Sammy's head. "Did you now? That's really cool Sammy!"

Soon they all were sitting down as Erika opened the bag. Erika was kneeling on the ground as she reached into the bag, and Sammy watched with delight as Erika pulled out five funny-colored vials. "Ooh! Magic potions! _**AWESOME!**_"

Sammy was soon skipping around Erika as Erika smiled at her. "No, not magic potions. The label says 'Lihalune', but still potions could probably sell for a good-"

As Sammy got between Erika and the door, she felt something hit her foot. Erika gave a cry of shock, but Sammy didn't really notice that. Whatever the thing was, she tripped over it and cried out in pain as she hit her face against the floor. "_**OWIE!**_"

"Sammy! Are you al-"

Sammy heard Deli approach, but Deli suddenly stopped somewhere behind Erika. "What the . . ."

As Sammy got back up, tears rolling down her face from the pain of the hit, she saw Deli and Erika looking at something. Deli had her hand closed around thin air, but as she jerked her hand back Sammy saw the button on the straps of Erika's pants twitch. Sammy's eyes opened wide. "Ooh! That was so cool, how did you do that?"

Deli smiled at Sammy for a little bit, but Erika's hands soon closed around thin air. Sammy was really surprised, there may as well have been some sort of invisible line between the button on the back of the straps of Erika's pants and Deli's hands. Soon Deli spoke, sounding rather confused. "String? But why is there . . ."

Erika froze as she felt what Sammy now understood was a single length of string. But . . . it was really _strong_ string, that's what Sammy must have tripped on! "_String _. . . but . . . n-no, it _can't_ be."

"Many people underestimate the use of a single length of string."

Each and every head turned towards the doorway, and Sammy's eyes opened wide. There was a _boy_ standing there! His silver hair looked creepy to Sammy, as did the black shirt the boy wore. Still, wasn't that shirt _way_ too big for him? As the boy looked at all of the girls, Sammy shivered. The boy had evil red eyes! He looked like he was really mean!

The boy grinned as he brought back a hand, and Sammy saw Deli's hands, Erika's hands, and the button on the strap of Erika's pants all twitch at the same time. So the string was the boy's doing? The evil-looking boy chuckled as he addressed the gang. "People often believe that string is useless and dispose of it. Not me though. I understand that string in the right hands has over a hundred different uses. For instance, how do you catch a thief? You lasso the button on the strap of her pants, allow her to get away while carefully feeding out more string then simply follow the trail at your leisure."

The boy smirked at the girls as he leaned against the doorway. "Now, I believe you have something that belongs to a friend of mine."

Sammy gulped, but soon Deli got up and walked over to the boy. "Impressive, kid. But there's more to it, right? You couldn't just follow the string after it went taut, not down here. There are too many areas you could fall into and become trapped with no way out. So you navigated down here while using the string to tell you which direction she went in?"

The boy nodded, and a smirk appeared on Deli's face. "So you came here _alone_, you stand in front of the entire _gang_, and you believe we're just going to hand our spoils over to you?"

The boy shrugged. "If you want an honest, I thought it was just the one girl."

The boy chuckled as he reached into a bag on his back. Sammy was shocked as the boy grabbed out some strange white rope. "But I promised my friend I would get his bag back. I hold nothing against thieves, and I hold no qualms against girls. But those that break a promise are worse than dirt. I told him I would get the bag back, and I am bound by my word."

Sammy saw Deli grin as she gave a signal. The boy braced as each and every girl stood up and began walking forwards. Sammy gulped as she hid behind Erika's leg, barely noticing that Erika was shaking really badly.

"_**STOP!**_"

Sammy, the boy, and all the other girls all looked at Erika in shock. As Erika began walking forwards, Sammy noticed that she looked really troubled. Erika looked really hard at the boy, like she was trying to figure something out. "Is . . . how do I say this . . . is your name . . . Acyr?"

The boy's eyes narrowed, but he relaxed a bit. He soon returned the stare to Erika, mumbling out loud as he did. "Why do I . . . you look rather familiar."

Erika smiled as she took off her helmet. As she closed a hand around her hair to make something like a ponytail, the boy's eyes opened wide. He gave a cry of pain as one of his hands went to his head, but soon shook it off. "_Erika?_"

Erika nodded, still looking very surprised. "Y-yeah, it's me. I . . . I can't believe it Acyr, we all thought . . ."

The boy . . . Acyr, as Erika called him . . . his face flushed red for a bit as he looked away from her. "Something's wrong with my memory. I remember waking up in a forest, but only bits and pieces of what happened before that. But . . . I remember you now, but it's still . . . fuzzy, or . . ."

Sammy was shocked as Deli cleared her throat. "Erika, so you know this Aceyer kid?"

Erika gave a smile back at Deli. "_Acyr_. Z-A-C-Y-R. _Acyr._"

Sammy jumped, there was a _Z_ in the boy's name? "B-but it sounds like A . . . C . . . uh, Y . . . uh, what's that one letter-R!"

The boy gave a smile to Sammy. "The Z is silent, most people don't actually know it's there."

Oh! Sammy blushed as she twiddled her fingers. "Oh. S-sorry, I can't read."

The boy grinned broadly at Sammy. "It's okay, neither can I."

Most everyone in the base flinched, though Erika didn't. "Uh . . . so Zacyr, I uh . . . y-yeah, you can have the bag back. Maybe . . . maybe I could find somewhere and . . . I could give you the basics of your life?"

Erika looked over at Deli, and Sammy was surprised to see the smile on Deli's face. "He can have it back, but in return he doesn't get to leave until you two have spoken to each other."

Erika sighed in relief, and soon she led Zacyr to a seat as she sat down in a seat a tiny bit away from him. Deli and the other girls gave them some room, but otherwise stayed. After a bit of awkward silence, Deli chuckled. "You two can speak at any time now. If you need a place to start, I've got one: why in the _blazes_ is someone who is about 13 not able to read?"

Zacyr blushed furiously, but Erika gave him a sad smile. "That one's easy. You never trusted your eyes. You were always scared that if you learned how to read, you could start understanding some of the glyphs you would hallucinate."

Deli flinched at that. "_Hallucinate?_"

Sammy watched as Zacyr nodded, though she had to remember to later ask Deli what hallucynate meant. Zacyr soon spoke. "Yes, hallucinate. I see things that aren't there. I don't know how long I have, but . . ."

Erika gulped. "You and I lived in the same village, Zacyr. Your family made a living by weaving special white rope and making bowstrings. From what I understand, your parents noticed you acting weirdly ever since you were born. When you learned how to speak . . . that was when our parents all learned why you were acting weirdly. You could see strange shapes that weren't actually there, you could see bizarre forms that scared you.

As time passed and you grew older, the hallucinations began to take forms. By the age of five, the hallucinations were passable replicas of things in real life. Your mother realized right away that you were hallucinating. While she was always kind and patient to you, our parent's weren't. They saw you as insane."

Erika gulped before she continued. "During that time, you couldn't tell that they were hallucinations. You were always very timid, often staying near your mother. She started teaching you how to weave the special rope, and you excelled at it. Most of the time, you would stay at home and help weave rope."

Erika was going to go on, but Zacyr held up a hand. "Hold on. You keep on mentioning my mother. But you also noted that my PARENTS noticed something odd about me. What about my father?"

Sammy was surprised when Erika tensed up. "Your father . . . he was nothing like your mother. At first he firmly believed you were lying about seeing hallucinations. When you became seven . . . well, I'll get back to him. When you became seven, all of us other kids made it a game to pick on you."

While Zacyr tensed up a bit, Erika continued to speak. "Our game didn't last for long, barely a month afterwards you claimed you no longer saw the hallucinations. Now all of us being kids, we were gullible enough to believe you. We didn't know you were just saying it to get us to stop picking on you. But your father did."

Erika slammed her fist against a nearby table, getting everyone to jump. "Eventually your mother decided to go on a trip, and for the first time leave you behind with your father. That was a _big_ mistake. Your father was merciless with you, publicly stating that he _knew_ you still suffered from hallucinations, often feigning that something had scared him . . . he took your every trick to know it was a hallucination, and found a way to slip past it. Soon you were terrified, and wouldn't leave your room, too afraid of your hallucinations. That was when your father went _way_ too far."

Erika gulped. It took Zacyr asking what happened before Erika continued. "One hallucination was by _far_ the most common one you had. You would see white mice, all of them crawling over you, over just about anything you looked at. After we started picking on you, you soon understood that it was never real. And that's what your father targeted, the one hallucination you always _knew_ wasn't real."

Erika shivered. "He caught many mice, all of them white, and soon released them into your room. We don't know how he did it, how he got them to do what they did, but . . . soon the mice were crawling all over you. Soon he tricked you into leaving the house, he made you go out into _public_ with those mice still crawling all over you . . ."

Erika again slammed her fist against the table. "I still can't believe _anyone_ could do that to their own _child!_ We all realized immediately that you thought you were hallucinating, and we told you that they were real. You . . . you were so numbed by our earlier antics, you didn't believe us. We couldn't do anything to convince you, even one of us grabbing a mouse by the tail and showing you that we could interact with them . . . you simply said 'It's simply another trick, and I won't fall for it.'

"Your father simply stood at the door to your shop, a smug little smirk on his face as you refused to believe, again and again, that the mice were real. But then . . . your mother had gotten done with her trip early. She ran up to you, and her first words to you were 'they're real'. I still remember the shock and horror on your face, you believed her . . . and you screamed as you began swatting at the mice.

"Everything went wrong after that for you. Just as you got the last mouse, you began hallucinating more of them. And you . . . the mice you were hallucinating became vicious, you screamed that they were biting you, scratching you."

Sammy shivered in fear as Erika wiped tears from her eyes. "I'll never forget how you begged for your mother to never leave you alone again, how . . . all your confidence in yourself was shattered. The hallucinations made a very large shift that day. You no longer had any peace. The hallucinations were becoming much more violent to you, and they became much more common. Your mother soon left the village, taking you with her. We didn't hear from you two for three years. During that time . . ."

Sammy saw a slight smirk appear on Erika's face. "Your father was forced to run the business himself. It was your mother's family that had always run the shop. Your father's weaving skills paled in comparison to your mother's, and even yours. Soon he was forced to close the business, and he soon left the village without a single gold coin to his name.

"When you finally came back at the age of 10, you . . . you looked almost the exact same. You were a scared little child, clinging tightly to your mother as she led you everywhere. I . . . well . . ."

Erika suddenly smiled. "Your mother reopened the business, and the only thing you would do was help her weave rope. Eventually, I got an idea on how to get your confidence back."

Zacyr raised an eye-brow. "I'm sorry, but . . . how could anything have done that? As far as I remember, I was . . . well . . . _way_ beyond gone."

Erika gave a short nod. "Yes, but it was because you couldn't tell hallucination from reality. So one day I walked up to you, a white mouse in my hands. I gulped before I asked you to hold the mouse, figuring that since you suffered from hallucinations, well . . ."

Sammy flinched as Zacyr picked up. "I wouldn't really have much trouble holding a mouse?"

Erika nodded. "And you did. And your eyes opened wide as you looked it over. On a hunch, I told you that the mouse's name was 'Real', and . . . the _smile_ that appeared on your face . . . I'll never forget when you ran up and hugged me. You tried to thank me, but all you could get out is. 'I can tell'."

Sammy was really confused. "But . . . how would that work? He was seeing mice that weren't real, how could seeing a real mouse . . ."

Zacyr suddenly broke out into a grin. "Ah, I see. By telling me beforehand that the mouse was real then letting me hold it, I would naturally start noticing differences between Real and my hallucinations. That would mean I would suddenly realize that I could use those differences to tell what was real."

Erika nodded. "And it worked like a charm. You finally started to regain you confidence, and after a week was over you were an entirely different person. You were confident, happy, and even began hanging around with us other kids. For the next two years, it stayed like that. You and I, well . . ."

Sammy was surprised as both Erika _and_ Zacyr blushed, Zacyr soon speaking. "I can already tell. We started becoming more than friends, am I right?"

Sammy was _really_ surprised when Erika nodded, and decided she should speak. "So you two became _best_ friends?"

Deli looked down at Sammy with a smile, and soon Zacyr nodded. "That's right."

Erika smiled at Sammy, but then sighed. "Then . . . something happened. None of us expected it . . . in one night . . . we still don't know the specifics. All we know is we heard a commotion loud enough to wake the entire village, and . . . when we got to the shop, we found your father's corpse in your room, decapitated. Your mother was babbling nonsense, and soon fled the village . . . and you just disappeared."

Sammy watched as Zacyr frowned, but eventually he shrugged. "Alright, now I know. Thank you for telling me."

As Zacyr picked up the bag, he suddenly nodded to himself. Sammy was surprised when Zacyr reached into his pack, grabbed out a bag, set it down on the ground and raced out of the base with a smile. Sammy immediately ran over to the bag, and gasped as she saw quite a few gold coins. "Wow! He gave us gold coins!"

As Sammy looked back at Erika she found Deli putting a hand on Erika's shoulder. "I take it that he's grateful you told him. Still, something doesn't make sense. His mother was just babbling nonsense?"

Erika gulped. "No, not really. I just . . . I couldn't tell Zacyr what his mother had told us."

* * *

><p>Well, what do you know? Zacyr got the bag, and is more or less in one piece! What is more, he's got a huge aid in the quest to find out who he was before he entered the forest. But what did his mother tell the villagers, what exactly happened the night Zacyr disappeared?<p>

Kshtsi probably worried, wondering what the hell is taking Zacyr so long. But what about Tachine? Where is she, what has she been up to? Is she in trouble, or is she causing trouble?

Zacyr better tread lightly, the blood on Tachine's hands is not her own . . .


	15. Blood For Blood

Zacyr's mission has been accomplished, and he has regained a piece of his past. But let me ask you a question . . . what happens when one thief steals from another? Is this really the last we've seen of the gang? BE WARNED: the road ahead is slick with blood

(for those of you that don't understand the warning, there is blood and violence in this chapter)

* * *

><p>Kshtsi was worried, what was taking Zacyr so long? Was he ok? Had he gotten caught by the thief, did he need help? Kshtsi wanted to scream with frustration, but instead he just sighed and remained sitting on the steps. He looked around yet again to see if Zacyr was back or not, soon finding that he wasn't. Maybe he was just overreacting? Zacyr had certainly not seemed that worried, perhaps he was just taking his time?<p>

"Kshtsi!"

Kshtsi immediately whipped his head around to look up the stairs, sighing in relief when he saw Zacyr coming towards him, holding Kshtsi's pack with his left arm. Kshtsi got up and walked up towards Zacyr, and soon the two of them were sitting down as Kshtsi looked through his stuff to make sure it was all there.

Once he was certain Kshtsi sighed in relief. Zacyr chuckled at Kshtsi. "Sorry I took so long. There's a whole gang of girls living under the town."

Kshtsi flinched at that. "Wow, and they just gave it back to you?"

Zacyr gave a slight smile. "Yeah. To be fair, there was more to it than that. Turned out that the girl who stole your bag actually _recognized_ me. All the extra time was me listening as she gave me the very basics of my old life."

Kshtsi was interested in knowing, but the troubled look on Zacyr's face told Kshtsi he didn't want to talk about it. Instead Kshtsi decided to talk about something else, which had actually been bugging him for some time now. "So Zacyr, why is the rope you use white?"

Zacyr's eyes lit up and he smiled at Kshtsi. "I use different fibers in the creation of my ropes than most people do."

Now Kshtsi was _extremely_ surprised. "You weave your own rope?"

Zacyr almost got Kshtsi to laugh when he held his head high. "I can't stand normal rope, it just doesn't meet up to my expectations. The fiber I use comes from a special plant that can be found in any forest, but only if you know where to look. My rope won't fray _half_ as easily as normal rope, and has just a tiny bit of an elastic quality. I always carry large amounts so I won't have to worry about running out of rope."

Zacyr would _clearly_ have gone on about it, but both he and Kshtsi were shocked when Tachine appeared pretty much out of nowhere, a vicious glare on her face. At Zacyr's inquiry about what was wrong, Tachine looked at Zacyr. "I need to borrow some rope _now_, it's an emergency!"

Zacyr and Kshtsi were _deeply_ shocked, but Zacyr immediately complied. After quickly measuring out thirty feet of rope Zacyr cut it free of his pack and handed it to her. "Here"

Tachine took it and took off again. Once she was out of sight Kshtsi saw Zacyr go into thought. "That was new, she never asks for rope."

Kshtsi nodded as he looked in the direction Tachine had ran off in. He was actually worried. Knowing her . . . this could be trouble. "Zacyr, do you think we should follow her?"

Zacyr shrugged. "She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. I don't believe she's in danger."

Kshtsi gulped. "She's not the one I'm worried about. Look . . . I'll explain it later. Right now we _do_ want to follow her."

Kshtsi sighed in relief when Zacyr didn't question it. Instead Zacyr got up, and soon Kshtsi and Zacyr were looking around. "Thank you Zacyr, I . . . you'll find out soon enough why."

Soon Zacyr suggested the caves, and not more than ten seconds later Zacyr was carefully guiding Kshtsi through the cave. Zacyr gave a slight chuckle when Kshtsi asked why they were in here. "This just seems like the thing Tachine would do. Thieves prefer to go where it's hard to follow and no offense to Tachine, but she's a thief at heart."

Kshtsi gave a slight smile. "True. Still, while it _is_ dark down here"

Kshtsi continued to speak as they reached an area Kshtsi could see quite clearly in. "It looks like there are still areas we can see at least."

Zacyr looked back with a grin. "Yeah, that is true. The gang of girls lives down here. From what I saw of their headgear, it looks like they have places to put these bioluminescent mushrooms to use as a makeshift miner's helm."

Kshtsi was fascinated, but Zacyr nodded over to the distance. "Hey, do you hear that?"

Kshtsi nodded, there was some sort of commotion going on in the distance. Soon the two of them were close enough to hear what was going on, and Kshtsi paled as the situation became clear. It was Tachine versus the girl gang. While the girls were lit up by the mushrooms on their heads, Tachine was standing in a small patch of light. Most of the members of the gang were a slight distance away from Tachine, clearly alarmed. One member-the same one that had stolen from Kshtsi-was completely bound in rope, shivering in fear as Tachine held a knife to her throat.

"_**Tachine! What the HELL are you doing?**_**"**

Kshtsi flinched as Zacyr dashed forwards, moving through the pitch-black area as easily as if the sun was shining down here. Tachine looked over at Zacyr, and Kshtsi knew he had to hurry. Zacyr had no idea he was putting himself in grave danger. Kshtsi quickly backtracked and grabbed a mushroom, using it so he could see the path before him. The instant he looked he felt his jaw drop. How had Zacyr charged through this _maze_ so quickly?

The entire time Kshtsi was busy making his way over, he heard Zacyr speaking to Tachine. "_This_ is what you wanted to borrow the rope for? I would never have given it to you if I had known you were going to take a person _hostage!_"

Kshtsi paled as Tachine answered, he had never heard her so angry before. He had to get over there quickly! "Damn it Zacyr, don't interfere! They robbed our gold, and I'm getting it back!"

"Not like _this_ you're not! I misjudged you Tachine, if I had _known_ you had no morals . . . I don't care what you think, this is _not_ happening. I'll lecture you on morality _after_ I get Erika unbound!"

"_Don't you dare Zacyr! _If you as much as _reach_ for the knot I _will _strike you!"

Kshtsi looked up. He had gotten past the hard part of the caves. But he was too far away, Zacyr was walking right up to the bound girl, and Kshtsi knew that Zacyr was confident Tachine was bluffing. Kshtsi knew better than that, this was _not_ a bluff! "_**Zacyr, stop! It's**_"

It only made things worse. Now Zacyr was looking over at Kshtsi in clear shock as he reached for the rope. As Zacyr began speaking, Kshtsi saw Tachine begin to move. "The _hell_ is your problem Kshtsi? Are-"

Kshtsi was horrified when Tachine brought up her knife, and soon swung it down towards Zacyr's hand. Zacyr cut off mid-sentence when the knife sliced through the back of his hand, giving a startled cry of pain as he backed away. Tachine smirked before she swung her foot into Zacyr's gut, sending him out of the little patch of light Tachine was in. Kshtsi gulped as Tachine turned back around, bringing the now bloody knife back to the girl's throat. "Next time's going to be your _throat_. I warned you not to do it, _Zacyr_."

Zacyr didn't reply, Kshtsi couldn't even see Zacyr. It was just too dark where he had been knocked back to. Tachine wore a smirk as she turned her attention to the girl gang. Each and every member's eyes were even wider, they must have understood now that Tachine was _more_ than willing to go through with her threat. "Now, give me the money back or I _will_ kill h-"

Kshtsi had absolutely no warning. He was just as shocked as everyone else when Zacyr abruptly reappeared, charging towards Tachine. When Kshtsi could once again follow what was going on he was deeply shocked to see Zacyr holding one of his daggers against Tachine's throat, and his other hand was locking her arm in place. "So that's how it's going to be, Tachine. If you try to make a move, I won't think twice."

Tachine shook off her clear shock and tried to look back, but Zacyr stopped her by bringing the knife just a tiny bit closer to her neck. When Tachine spoke, her voice shook with rage. "_**Zacyr!**_ Stay out of this!"

"Drop the knife, Tachine."

Kshtsi gulped, Tachine was completely enraged. "_**ZACYR-**_"

"_**NOW TACHINE!**_"

The next two seconds were the longest ones in Kshtsi's life. He couldn't believe the scene he was witnessing, Zacyr was _threatening_ Tachine. Tachine gnashed her teeth, but Kshtsi sighed in relief when he heard the sound of Tachine's knife landing on the ground. "There. I hope you're happy now Zacyr."

"No. Next up, I want you to walk with me away from Erika."

Tachine gnashed her teeth again, but soon they slowly walked back and out of the patch of light. Kshtsi gulped, but soon walked over to . . . 'Erika', as Zacyr had called her. He grabbed the Tachine's bloodied dagger and cut the rope. The instant the girl was freed, she bolted over to her group.

Kshtsi gulped as he heard Zacyr chuckle. "There, _now_ I'm happy."

"That's _**IT!**_"

Kshtsi couldn't see what Tachine was doing, but he heard Zacyr give a cry of pain. Kshtsi's heart stopped as Tachine walked into view, holding Zacyr's now-bloody dagger. "There, _now_ let's see him intervene next time."

Kshtsi gulped as he waited for Zacyr to come into view, but Tachine grinned. "Let me ask you a question Kshtsi. What happens when you stab a person in the heart?"

Kshtsi paled. "Y-you just . . . y-you just killed him?"

Tachine grinned as she nodded, but she suddenly froze in place as she turned around. Kshtsi did too, completely shocked as they heard Zacyr chuckle. It wasn't a dying laugh, he sounded perfectly fine! Kshtsi sighed in relief, Tachine must have missed! Tachine almost went into hysterics. "_What_? _**HOW?**_ HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE? _**I JUST STABBED YOU IN THE FUCKING HEART!**_"

Kshtsi was shocked when Zacyr walked into view, a vicious scowl on his face. To Kshtsi's complete shock Zacyr's shirt had a bloody rip in his shirt. That must have been where Tachine stabbed, but . . . that was right over the heart! How did Zacyr just shrug off what _should_ have been a fatal hit? "_What is the meaning of this, Tachine?_ There's no denying it anymore! That was a purposeful attempt to kill me!"

Tachine had a wild look of fear in her eyes as she began to retreat. "_**WHY DIDN'T IT WORK? HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?**_"

Kshtsi had to admit, he was a little bit on Tachine's side. The rip was right where his heart should have been, and the blood on the bandage showed that it most certainly _had_ hit. Zacyr grinned as he shrugged. "I just didn't feel like dying today. Now _get to the fucking point!_ Why did you just try to kill me?"

Tachine gulped, but she eventually got control over herself. "Why? Because YOU just freed my hostage! Because just like always, you think 'it doesn't matter what they think, they're just +Anima' and fuck _everything _up!"

Zacyr glared at Tachine as he walked closer. "Like what?"

Kshtsi gulped as Tachine glared _viciously_ at Zacyr. "_Just THINK about it! You can't hunt, you can't handle a hostage situation, you use STRING to solve your every problem, but only make it __**worse**__! Just look at this, you can't even DIE successfully!_"

The argument between Zacyr and Tachine continued, but Kshtsi's attention went elsewhere when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He was surprised to see one of the girls from the gang there. "Name's Deli."

Deli reached into a side-pouch and produced one large bag of gold. "We don't normally give back our steals, but . . . we'll give you one of the bags back. This is for you and Zacyr stepping in to stop her. Let Zacyr know that Erika is really grateful that he stepped in, the two of them were good friends in their past."

Ah, so _that_ was why Zacyr actually threatened Tachine. Both Kshtsi and Deli looked back at Tachine and Zacyr, who were both shouting furiously at each other. Kshtsi gulped, but was surprised when Deli spoke again. "You and her are +Anima, aren't you?"

Kshtsi nodded. "Yeah. She . . . I didn't even know that she thought like this until the last village we were in, and . . . I-I should have warned Zacyr."

Deli surprised Kshtsi by giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "The past has passed. You should warn Tachine not to anger Zacyr. Tachine's hands aren't the only ones covered with blood."

Kshtsi flinched, but before he could ask for more information Deli and her gang left, soon going far enough into the caves that Kshtsi couldn't see the glow from the mushrooms in their helmets. Kshtsi gulped, but as he heard Zacyr and Tachine get even louder he realized he _had_ to stop this fight. "Enough!"

To Kshtsi's surprise Tachine and Zacyr immediately looked at Kshtsi. Kshtsi inwardly sighed in relief, but he quickly addressed Tachine. "Tachine, you shouldn't have deceived us like that. I understand that you have had a rough life, but that doesn't mean that every single human is trying to hurt you."

Tachine gnashed her teeth. "You have no idea, Kshtsi. I won't let myself grow attached to a 'normal' person again, I've learned my lesson. It doesn't matter how much they pretend to care, it doesn't matter how many times that they say it doesn't matter that you're a +Anima. In the end, it's all a ruse to let you lower your guard so they can get you thrown into jail. And then? Oh, _then_ they visit you, and they drop their façade. They tell you how you can't ever expect to be trusted, how you were foolish for letting your guard down. After all, I'm just another _freak!_"

Zacyr's anger was quickly replaced with shock, and as he looked the other way Tachine eyed him warily. While it took some time for Zacyr to speak, what he said was the last thing Kshtsi expected. "I'm sorry Tachine."

Tachine flinched as she dropped Zacyr's knife, and Kshtsi eyed Zacyr in shock. When he spoke, his voice was tender and caring. "I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone you trusted. I still would have intervened, but . . . I shouldn't have put a knife to your throat, I should have tried some other way before resorting to extremes. Look, I'll forgive you for wounding me, but I won't forget this."

Tachine gnashed her teeth, but soon she sighed as she handed Zacyr's knife back. As Kshtsi decided it was safe to give Tachine back hers, she spoke. "Alright, perhaps I went too far. But remember this Zacyr, just because we're +Anima doesn't mean we do all the work. Understood?"

Zacyr nodded, and soon the three of them left Octopus behind.

* * *

><p>The secret is out. Tachine's hatred towards all humans-including Zacyr-has caused her to try to kill him.<p>

But how did he survive? Perhaps there is more to Zacyr than his hallucinations . . . what secret allowed him to cheat death? Tachine struck, make no mistake of that. The rip and the bandage Zacyr quickly put on the wound are proof. But he simply didn't die.

Still, is the fight really over? Or has this event forever turned Zacyr and Tachine against each other? Find out in the proceeding chapters!


	16. The Secret Of The Immortal One

Zacyr now knows. Even though he and Tachine have 'apologized' to each other, how long will it take before another fight begins?

Tachine and Kshtsi are about to learn Zacyr's secret.

* * *

><p>As the group continued to walk down the path Tachine eyed Acyr multiple times, especially the bloody gash on his shirt. How . . . this made no sense! It <em>hit<em>, but he didn't . . . she had even drawn blood! What was more, how did he get a bandage on it so quickly?

None of the group said anything for _hours_. They simply walked, during which time Tachine thought. Kshtsi was walking in-between Tachine and Acyr, clearly trying to keep them from fighting. He looked rather stressed. Acyr was probably threatening him while Tachine wasn't looking.

Still . . . just as much as Tachine wanted Acyr gone, that stunt he had pulled . . . that had taken guts. She was going to _murder_ him for his involvement, but she also had to admit she was shocked that Acyr could actually intervene like that. While she was no longer certain Acyr could pull that bluff again . . . she wasn't exactly certain that he _couldn't_.

And of course, there was still the matter of his survival . . . Tachine still was replaying her stabbing him in the 'heart' over and over in her head. She was _certain_ she had hit, and Acyr hadn't retaliated . . . but how had he just shrugged it off? Did she miss his heart? Well _obviously_ she did, but how? She hadn't felt the blade veer off course, just . . . how the _hell_ did she miss?

She tried to let it go, to just accept that she must have missed, but . . . it just wouldn't go away. She was still so riled up by it, how . . . ugh! She decided to skip past that fact. Why had Acyr intervened in the _first_ place? He had no reason to! Was it just because he automatically thought Tachine had been doing the wrong thing, that because she was a +_Anima_ she was obviously going to do the wrong thing? _Why had he intervened?_

And then . . . then that . . . Tachine couldn't _believe_ Acyr had put a knife to her throat. She had already admitted to herself hundreds of times she was _impressed_ that Acyr could go that far, but _why_ did he go that far? Why did he protect that _bitch?_

"We should stop here for supper."

Tachine snapped herself out of her thoughts at Kshtsi's words, and immediately agreed when she saw that they were close to a large batch of trees. Soon she and Acyr were searching through the trees for berries, and as they did Tachine spoke. "Why did you stop me?"

Acyr glanced at Tachine, but focused on the berries. Just as Tachine was about to ask again Acyr suddenly responded, his voice calm as always. "I saw the girls before you did that. The same girl you chose to be your hostage recognized me, and told me a good deal about my past."

Tachine felt a grin come across her face as she relaxed. "Ah, so you were paying off a debt."

"No."

Tachine looked over at Acyr in shock, and he looked over at her. "I stopped you because it was the right thing to do. I do not believe murder solves anything."

Tachine sighed, poor Acyr. "You have much to learn, Acyr."

As Tachine stated that they had enough berries, Acyr looked at her. "Before we go back over by Kshtsi . . . how long?"

Tachine flinched as Acyr's eyes shifted into an angry glare. "How long have you hated me? How long have you wanted me gone? I haven't really thought that much about it before, but now your every act . . . I see so many different things that could have been caused out of hatred."

Tachine gave Acyr a cruel smirk. "When I first met you, you saved my life. Because of that, I tried to be courteous to you. Then I saw Kshtsi almost dead in one of _your_ traps. You almost killed a +Anima."

Tachine was surprised when Acyr gave Tachine a cruel smirk of his own. "Oh? And what about you, Tachine? How many lives have you taken? Don't tell me none, that stab you gave me wasn't the first time you've done it."

He had her there. Tachine sighed as she looked off into the distance. "I've taken several lives. I was imprisoned for the sole purpose of being a +Anima. All of the lives I've taken were taken during my escape. After that escape, I ran to a forest. The same forest"

Tachine looked over at Acyr. "You found me in. This event happened not even an _hour_ before I tried to steal from that bastard."

As Acyr flinched, Tachine looked the other way. "When I was getting out of that _damn_ place, it was so easy to kill. I was so angry, everyone there deserved to die. But against that man, I froze. It never occurred to me that I could take him, I just . . . I froze. I don't even know why I did."

"It was a different situation."

Tachine flinched as Acyr eyed her carefully. "By that time, your anger had died down. You must have been tired from your escape, and the man had more of a reason than just you being a +Anima. Tachine . . . so why did you follow me?"

Tachine looked the other way as her face turned red. "You said it wasn't my choice to become a +Anima. You didn't give me a disgusted look when I showed you my +Anima traits. I followed you because I was confused, because you didn't act like other people."

Her voice was getting stronger. She wanted Acyr to understand this next part, why she _still_ hated him so much. "Then Kshtsi appeared in your net. You almost _killed _a +Anima. But the instant that you _realized_ he was a +Anima, you calmed down. There was no proof that he was alive, you just calmed down the _instant_ you noticed that he was a +Anima, like it was okay for a +Anima to die!"

Tachine saw Acyr flinch and turn the other way. "That wasn't what I meant! He was a +Anima of a creature that lives in water, so I just assumed that meant he could breathe underwater. And as he's _repeatedly_ proven, he can!"

Tachine glared viciously at Acyr. "So what about the rest of it? You gave one _hell_ of a first impression, but you haven't lived up to it at _all_ since then! You chided me as if I was a little child when I got stung!"

Acyr glared at Tachine. "So what? You got physical with me, you attacked me without provocation _multiple_ times! At least when _I _annoyed you, _I_ was doing it out of concern for your own safety!"

Tachine pointed a finger at Acyr as she continued to speak. "You are three years younger than I am, than Kshtsi is! I won't take being told what to do by a normal human! You don't even know what it's like to be a _**FREAK!**_"

As her last word reverberated through the air, Acyr grinned before beginning to walk back to the clearing. "Your problem, Tachine, is that because I'm not a +Anima you automatically think I'm _normal_. Because of an event done by different 'normal' people, you automatically assume I'm the same way."

Tachine frowned as they heard Kshtsi calling for them. She whispered to Acyr as the two of them walked back. "Prove you're not a normal person then."

Acyr grinned as he looked back at Tachine. "You stabbed me in the heart, but I'm still alive. What more proof do you _want_, a _tentacle_ growing out of my ass?"

Tachine froze in place. It . . . no, she must have missed. This was nothing more than a trick from Acyr, she _had_ to have missed. No one could live without their heart, _no one_. Eventually she walked out to the clearing, still trying to figure it out.

Kshtsi had gotten quite a few fish. As Tachine walked over, she was surprised to find that Kshtsi already had a fire going, and was setting up the fish. As the three of them waited for the food to get done, Kshtsi cleared his throat. "Um, Acyr?"

Acyr and Tachine looked over at Kshtsi, whose face turned slightly red. "Uh . . . I don't mean to . . . you know, I'm very grateful that you're still here, but . . ."

Acyr cocked his head, a slight smile on his face. "Of course I am staying. I-"

Kshtsi shook his head, looking quite embarrassed. "N-no, I mean . . . Tachine said she had stabbed you in the heart, right? So how . . . I'm not _complaining_ or anything, but . . . how did you survive?"

Tachine saw a slight gleam appear in Acyr's eye, but only for a moment. He looked around, clearly for anyone else, before clearing his throat. "Okay. I . . . listen, this is a _huge_ secret. I won't make you promise, but I would prefer you two to keep it a secret."

Both Kshtsi and Tachine nodded. Acyr again looked around, then sighed. "Tell me, do you two believe in gods?"

Kshtsi's eyes opened wide, but Tachine only grinned as she shook her head. Why that little _ass!_ "Wait, let me guess. You are going to give some grand story about how you are one of them?"

Acyr grinned widely. "What makes that so hard to believe? I suppose I shall skip the plot, as I realize death could happen at any time for you two mortals. But let me explain the basics. There is a god for everything, and-"

Tachine rolled her eyes. "And you are?"

Acyr grinned even wider. "Hey, there is a reason I'm giving the explanation first! I didn't think that far ahead! Though if you want to help me think of one-"

Tachine rolled her eyes, but soon noticed a good-sized spider crawling up Zacyr's right arm. "Ah, so you are the God of Spiders?"

Acyr frowned as he looked at Tachine. "What? Why did you-"

As he spoke Acyr followed Tachine's line of sight, his eyes going wide when he saw the spider. Tachine couldn't help it, she burst out laughing when Acyr let out a yelp, slapped the spider off of his arm, and crushed it under his foot. As Acyr shivered, Tachine could only point at him. She wanted to speak, but she was just laughing too hard to. Once her laughter finally died down a bit, she eyed Acyr with glee. "You are afraid of _**SPIDERS?**_ _**YOU**_ are afraid of them? That's _**HYSTERICAL!**_"

As Tachine continued to laugh, Acyr blushed. "Hey, it's a valid condition called arachnophobia!"

Tachine shook her head, giggling hysterically. "_Don't you get it?_ LOOK at yourself Acyr! You make traps using _white rope_ and _string_, wait for something to trap itself in your 'web'-you even CALLED it a web! _Your entire method of getting food is based off of spiders, and you're SCARED of them!_"

It wasn't long before Kshtsi was chuckling, but Tachine was too busy laughing her head off. Oh, that was good! Acyr was blushing furiously as Kshtsi and Tachine laughed, but soon the fish were done and the three of them began eating, their earlier question forgotten.

Once they were done, Acyr surprised Tachine by taking out his rope, apparently checking it for something. While Tachine decided to just go to sleep, she noticed that Acyr seemed . . . disappointed at something. Apparently his remaining rope wasn't living up to his expectations, but whatever. Tachine soon went to sleep as Acyr spoke to Kshtsi, not even remembering that Acyr had never actually answered her question.

* * *

><p>If you really think about it, Zacyr really IS a lot like a spider.<p>

Zacyr has kept the secret to his immortality safe, though at the expense of the revelation of a different secret.

Have Zacyr and Tachine made up? What will the morning bring to them? Find out in the next chapter!


	17. The Way Into Hell

So Zacyr and Tachine have relaxed, but for how long? And how is Kshtsi feeling about this?

* * *

><p>As Kshtsi woke up with a yawn he suddenly became aware of a slight commotion in the forest. He was startled when he heard Tachine cursing and Zacyr laughing, quite likely at her. Had Zacyr played a <em>prank <em>on her? Did that really seem like a good idea after yesterday's events?

Kshtsi was up and walking into the forest in less than a minute, soon stopping to a quite . . . _unexpected _scene. Tachine was caught in a net that was now hanging from a tree. There was no doubt whose net it was either. The net was made of pure-white rope, and Zacyr was leaning against a tree as he laughed his head off. Kshtsi couldn't help it. He chuckled as well, though he stopped when Tachine snapped at Zacyr. "_What is the meaning of this you SHIT?_"

It was no use. Zacyr couldn't stop laughing long enough to explain. It seemed to take hours, but eventually he managed to contain himself. "S-sorry Tachine. It . . . I was trying to trap animals, not . . . oh, that's funny!"

While that calmed Tachine down a bit, Zacyr's giggle fits certainly didn't. Once he finally managed to stop laughing, he looked up at her. "Sorry, I just . . . I'll get you down, just give me a second."

Tachine's eyes narrowed, and to Zacyr and Kshtsi's shock she drew out her knife. Zacyr quickly spoke, his voice filled with alarm. "_No Tachine, just wait!_"

Even before Zacyr finished his plea Tachine had sliced a _very_ large gash in the net. It didn't take long before she had a large enough hole to slip through, and she gracefully leapt down to the ground. Kshtsi cringed as Tachine glared at a clearly startled Zacyr. "I'm not waiting for you to finish another damn giggle fit! What, is it funny because you _partially_ got an animal? Or as we're known as, a +Anima?"

Zacyr surprised both of them when he abruptly stomped a foot on the ground. _**"DAMN YOU TACHINE!**_ What the _**fuck**_ is your problem? You just _cut my rope!__**"**_

As he spoke Zacyr quickly undid a few pieces of rope stuck to different branches, and the trap fell down. Kshtsi was surprised at Zacyr's outburst, why was this setting him off so much? As Zacyr went over and searched through it Tachine spoke to him, her voice laced with venom. "Oh, I see. Making sure the trap's still useable without a few minor fixes takes priority over my own safety?"

Kshtsi was deeply shocked when Zacyr glared so viciously at Tachine that even _she_ stepped back in alarm. "You fucking _**bitch**_! If you had waited for just a few _seconds_ I could have gotten you down safely _and_ the trap as well! Damn it, _my rope!_ You just took my two longest pieces of rope and _cut them into a hundred pieces!_ _**Fuck you!**_"

As he spoke Zacyr quickly unknotted the rope with a speed that astounded Kshtsi, Zacyr really knew what he was doing. And . . . well, looking at the number of pieces it was in now Kshtsi couldn't really blame Zacyr for his outburst. Trying to keep Tachine and Zacyr from fighting, Kshtsi spoke kindly to Zacyr. "Is it salvageable?"

Zacyr gnashed his teeth as he looked the ropes over. "The strength of it's not affected, and that's not the problem. Included in that trap were my two _longest_ pieces of rope, and now . . . there's only four pieces that actually _work_ for length! I have _hundreds_ of tiny pieces that wouldn't even measure a foot long, but . . . _ugh!_ What the _hell_ do you think I am Tachine?"

Tachine frowned as she crossed her arms. Kshtsi noticed that there was just a hint of a blush on her face as she retorted. Did Tachine actually feel _guilty? _"That's your own fault! You should have _explained_ that to us earlier!"

Kshtsi wasn't too surprised when Zacyr glared at Tachine. "Don't you _dare_, I only went through my stock last night! Do you know _why_ I set up that trap? I set it up so I could have a chance to treat the group to breakfast! I even risked my best damn rope for it, if . . . _damn it!_ I used two pieces of rope, both measuring at a hundred-feet long, and the longest pieces left are four _twenty_ feet long pieces, and that's not including . . . _damn it!_"

Eventually Kshtsi and Tachine gave Zacyr some alone time, absentmindedly going to pick out some berries for breakfast. As they did, Tachine spoke to Kshtsi. "I-it _is_ still his fault. He shouldn't have put it where I would step. H-He should have _warned_ us beforehand!"

Kshtsi sighed. While he knew Tachine liked to play the blame game, Kshtsi also had to admit that Zacyr wasn't entirely innocent himself. "It's . . . _both_ of you are at fault. Yes he should have warned you. That could have stopped you from falling for it in the first place. But . . . you shouldn't have ignored him when he yelled for you to not cut it. That would have spared his rope. He's already told me that he weaves all of his rope by hand, and I'm guessing that's not an easy task to find the supplies. It's never been a problem for him before. He's always _been_ in that forest, where he had an almost limitless amount of supplies to create his rope with. He's not used to the idea of preserving rope, so he can't be blamed for overreacting like this."

Tachine neither agreed nor disagreed. Kshtsi was surprised when he realized Tachine was just dropping the subject, maybe she _did_ realize she had over-reacted? No matter, that still left the problem of Zacyr's overreacting.

The three of them soon ate a hastily-made breakfast. During it, Zacyr was almost completely silent. It was only once they were done that he spoke, and Kshtsi was delighted when he realized Zacyr had clearly been thinking about his earlier actions. "Look, I . . . I'm sorry about yelling at you like that Tachine. I . . . I overreacted. I-it's just . . . here I was trying to prove my worth, and all it got me was . . . all it got me was a serious problem, my best rope's now in pieces. Now the longest rope I possess is four twenty-feet-long ones. B-but I do admit . . . I shouldn't have reacted like that."

Kshtsi was impressed. Zacyr was willing to admit he was wrong. However, Kshtsi sighed in annoyance when Tachine gave a slight smirk. "You're right, you _shouldn't_ have. Now we're getting a move-on."

Kshtsi noticed Zacyr flinch, and was surprised when Zacyr spoke. "Tachine, I put up _multiple_ traps. I need time to take down the other traps, or else-"

Kshtsi was shocked when Tachine interrupted. "No, I am _not_ waiting on your _lazy ass_ Zacyr! You should have been packing it up before-hand, or else have _realized_ there was no way you were going to catch anything _except_ your own group members!"

Zacyr's eyes narrowed slightly, but as Tachine stood up and brushed herself off Kshtsi realized she wasn't done. "Now, let me explain something _Zacyr_. The next area we are going is Abon, a village not far from here. However, while I have made this trip a few times now myself I have noticed something about the path. It curves around a very large forest, the same one we're in right now. If we cut through the forest, we can get to Abon Village in just a few _hours_ instead of the two days it should normally be."

Zacyr raised an eyebrow, and asked the same thing Kshtsi was wondering. "How do you know this?"

Tachine grinned broadly. "I just do. I don't feel like explaining it to a _normal_ person."

Kshtsi cringed, _damn it Tachine!_ Why did she have to turn it into +Anima versus 'normal'? Zacyr's eyes formed into a vicious glare, and he spoke. "So you are telling me Tachine that all of-"

Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr abruptly looked over at Kshtsi, and immediately backtracked. "Uhm-uh, that you expect yourself to be able to navigate the forest? Y-you got yourself _lost_ in that one forest, do you really want to get us _all_ lost?"

It wasn't until Kshtsi thought about what Zacyr had been about to say that he realized why. Zacyr had almost made an insult to _all_ +Anima, Kshtsi included. Had Zacyr stopped because he didn't want to insult Kshtsi? Whatever the reason behind Zacyr's actions, Tachine gave a slight grin. "I'm not going to be the one leading us through the forest. Instead, I'm going to trust that someone else can. You know Zacyr, someone who _knows_ how to navigate through the forest."

Kshtsi saw Zacyr pale faster than Kshtsi could even blink. "_Me?_ Tachine, it doesn't work that way! I don't even know where the destination is, I've never been to Abon Village before! You can't just expect me to lead us through the forest!"

Tachine soon had a large grin on her face. "I not only _can_ expect you to lead us through the forest, I _do_ expect you to lead us through the forest. After all, who is the one that _found_ me and Kshtsi?"

Zacyr soon cringed. "Tachine, I did that because I could _hear_ you! I also had a string attached to a tree nearby our resting area, and had to follow it back! You're asking me to do something I just can't do!"

Tachine gnashed her teeth. "_For crying out loud Zacyr!_ All you have to do is get us to the other side of the forest, is that so hard? We'll work on the locating Abon village once we are through the forest, all I am asking you to do is walk a straight line through the forest!"

Kshtsi was caught off-guard when Zacyr sighed. "Alright Tachine, but . . . I've never done this before. It's hard to keep your sense of direction in a forest unless you've been there before, and I haven't ever been in this forest."

Kshtsi cringed as Zacyr soon turned and headed into the forest, Tachine and Kshtsi soon following behind him. This was getting bad _fast._ Almost every act Zacyr or Tachine did was now putting more and more strain between them, it wasn't going to be long before someone got hurt.

It only got worse than that. Tachine wouldn't let Zacyr out of her sight, and was watching him like a hawk. She wouldn't give him enough time alone with Kshtsi for Kshtsi to give him another Lihalune, and it was clearly getting Zacyr riled up. While Kshtsi tried to signal to Zacyr that it didn't matter what time of day he had it so long as he had it daily, Zacyr was clearly still getting stressed that he hadn't been able to have it yet.

As the hours began to pass, Kshtsi noticed that some of the areas they were passing through looked rather similar. While Kshtsi kept quiet about it, he began to wonder if Zacyr had already gotten lost. Tachine also started to notice the similarities, and soon began questioning Zacyr about it. While Zacyr insisted that it was just coincidence, Tachine just wouldn't let the discussion drop. It wasn't long before Tachine's questions turned into accusations.

Kshtsi began to worry himself as Zacyr's replies to Tachine's comments grew harsher with each passing minute. While Zacyr was insisting he was following a relatively straight line, Kshtsi began to worry. Hadn't they already seen that tree with the large V-shape? And that small pond, hadn't they passed it an hour ago? He didn't bother to mention it, Tachine was already making certain to mention any similarity between the area they were walking and the areas they had been.

It wasn't long before Tachine and Zacyr were getting _vicious_, snapping at each other for any small mistake or comment. While Kshtsi noticed that Zacyr was trying to keep it from becoming a +Anima thing because of his respect for Kshtsi, Tachine didn't show Zacyr that same respect, reminding Zacyr almost once every minute that he wasn't a +Anima.

By the time Kshtsi realized noon had passed, Zacyr and Tachine were almost to blows. They weren't out of the forest yet, which Tachine believed they should have been. Zacyr was no longer confident on his own navigational skills, and he often retorted that if they were lost than it was Tachine's fault for forcing him to lead the way. "I warned you before-hand that I've never done this before, Tachine! Now shut the _fuck_ up and let me focus!"

"Let you _focus?_ Look at this! The only things that I have seen you catch in your traps _yet_ were Kshtsi and I, you have lived in a forest for over a _year_ but because you are such a lazy _bastard_ you never bothered to learn how to walk in a straight line, and you can't even admit that you got us fucking _lost!_"

Kshtsi almost tore his hair out in his frustration, would these two _ever _shut up? They were going to drive him _insane!_ Eventually he settled for covering his ears, desperately trying to drown out the argument. He was so focused on that, he didn't notice when Zacyr and Tachine suddenly stopped speaking. Kshtsi also didn't realize that the two of them had stopped until Zacyr grabbed Kshtsi by the shoulder.

When Kshtsi finally focused, he found Zacyr giving him a sympathetic smile before nodding in front of them. Kshtsi was surprised to see a good-sized river in front of them. Now that he was focused, the roar of the river was about all that he could hear.

As Kshtsi, Zacyr, and Tachine backed away from the river a little bit Zacyr grinned at them. "So what about _this?_ Does _this_ look familiar to either of you? Maybe you should have a bit more faith in my ability to walk a straight line!"

Tachine actually blushed as she looked the other way. "_Fine_, maybe you weren't _as lost_ as I thought."

Kshtsi smiled as Zacyr chuckled, at least they could calm down when there was proof that they weren't just going around in circles. Eventually they all looked at the river, and Kshtsi spoke. "So how are we going to get past this?"

Zacyr sighed as he grabbed out some rope. Kshtsi noticed Tachine looking annoyed, but she kept quiet as Zacyr mumbled to himself. "Let's see here . . . four pieces, twenty feet long . . . a good number that's a few feet long . . . the river's about twelve feet wide . . . the nearest tree from that side is about fourteen feet away from this one here, but it doesn't look all that strong . . . hmm . . ."

Zacyr looked back at Kshtsi and Tachine. "Do we feel like looking up and down for a better spot to cross?"

Tachine frowned as she crossed her arms. "Just how difficult would it be to cross here?"

Zacyr let out a small grin. "Moderately. I could make a rope bridge between the two trees, but it wouldn't be that strong. We'd have to go one at a time."

Tachine shrugged. "I'm fine with that. What about you Kshtsi?"

Kshtsi gulped, but soon nodded. He didn't like this idea of crossing a raging river, especially knowing that he could lose his balance. While Zacyr didn't seem all that worried, and Kshtsi already knew Tachine was extremely good with balance, Kshtsi's sense of balance wasn't quite that good.

As Zacyr quickly made the bridge and quickly got it tied to a very large branch, he surprised both Kshtsi and Tachine by climbing quite a bit higher in the tree. Neither of them expected when Zacyr quickly made a noose on a different rope, throwing it over to the other tree and snagging a good-sized branch.

Then Zacyr tied the other end to the branch he was currently sitting on. And . . . Kshtsi couldn't believe what Zacyr did next. Kshtsi stood there open-mouthed as Zacyr walked across the rope. Forget looking _nervous_, Zacyr adjusted his balance only using his feet! Was this even _possible?_

"Holy _shit._"

Kshtsi flinched as he looked at Tachine, who was watching with a look of wonder. "I thought _I _could balance well. Just _look_ at him damn it. I can't believe this is the same kid who's afraid of spiders, he's as comfortable on his thread as he is on land."

Kshtsi grinned at that, and soon Zacyr told them to toss him the end of the rope-bridge. Tachine obliged, and soon Zacyr had it all hooked up. Zacyr soon went up to the top rope and crossed it again. He untied his end, and soon yanked the noose off of the other end. After he climbed back down to where Tachine and Kshtsi were standing, he grinned at them. "There, see? Simple."

Tachine raised an eyebrow and grinned at Zacyr, but soon he cleared his throat. "Ok, just a few things to note. My rope's strong, but I had to use some of my bad rope in this one. I don't care _what_ happens, we cross _one at a time_. Ok?"

Kshtsi immediately nodded, and Zacyr grinned. Both Tachine and Kshtsi grinned at each other as Zacyr crossed the river, hanging from the bottom of the ladder and yet still making it look easy. Kshtsi had to admit, he was with Tachine on this one. How could Zacyr be afraid of a creature he imitated so much?

"Alright, who's next?"

Kshtsi looked at Tachine, who smiled at him. "How about this Kshtsi. Zacyr and I will watch you from both sides, so if anything goes wrong we can help you out."

Kshtsi gulped, but nodded. That made sense. Soon Kshtsi got up onto the rope bridge and slowly began making his way across. This was so nerve-wrecking. He really hoped that he wouldn't fall in. all he could hear was the roar of the river.

Kshtsi was about halfway down the bridge, carefully trying to keep his balance by having his arms outstretched, when Tachine said something to him. Kshtsi turned to look at her, only realizing his mistake when the bridge wobbled slightly. What happened next was a blur, all Kshtsi really got of it was that he lost his balance.

Kshtsi heard both Zacyr and Tachine say his name just before he hit the water. Kshtsi quickly turned to his +Anima form, allowing himself to breathe no matter if he was above or under water. He was really shocked at how strong the river was, no matter what Kshtsi tried to get to either shore the river continued to overpower him.

"_**OH MY GOD!**_"

"_**KSHTSI!**_"

Kshtsi winced at how loud Tachine and Zacyr yelled, what was up with . . .

That was when Kshtsi heard a dull roar, and managed to right himself long enough to look forwards. What he saw made his heart quicken and his blood run cold. _He was approaching a waterfall!_ He was shocked as he noticed a wooden bridge not too far ahead, and soon he saw Tachine dash to the middle of that bridge.

She was looking around frantically, clearly trying to find a way to help Kshtsi. But as Kshtsi passed under the bridge, hearing a few cries of shock, he realized Tachine just didn't have a way to get him out. For a moment, Kshtsi wondered where Zacyr had gone? Then his feet touched thin air. He had reached the waterfall, and as Kshtsi soon found himself falling he closed his eyes. He couldn't watch himself die.

It wasn't the fact that Kshtsi abruptly stopped falling that forced his eyes open. It was the scream from Zacyr. Kshtsi looked up, and couldn't believe what he saw. Zacyr was hanging from a good-sized rope, one hand around the rope and the other around one of the tentacles hanging from Kshtsi's waist. Kshtsi was now hanging from that tentacle, and his eyes opened wide as the tentacle reacted to the feeling of Zacyr's flesh, outside of Kshtsi's control. Kshtsi could see tears coming to Zacyr's eyes as Kshtsi's tentacle stung him, but Zacyr didn't slow down a bit.

Soon Zacyr was traveling quickly down the cliff-side, using the rope to swing from point to point. While Kshtsi could see that Zacyr's hand around Kshtsi's tentacle was trembling from the pain, Zacyr was clenching it tightly. Soon Zacyr was getting farther and farther down the cliff at a speed that astounded Kshtsi.

But it wasn't long before Zacyr's hand twitched, and Kshtsi saw Zacyr force himself to slow down. Kshtsi was actually shocked at just how far down the cliff Zacyr had gotten, but Kshtsi's heart stopped when Zacyr's hand slackened just a tiny bit. That tiny bit allowed the tentacle to slip out of Zacyr's hand, and Zacyr looked down in alarm as Kshtsi began to fall the rest of the way down. During the fall, Kshtsi saw Zacyr reach down towards Kshtsi, and Kshtsi's eyes opened wide when he saw the large, angry mark now on Zacyr's palm. Then Kshtsi hit the ground, and everything went dark.

* * *

><p>What a shock! Kshtsi has fallen down a waterfall, and despite Zacyr's best efforts Kshtsi still ended up blacking out! Is this the end of Kshtsi?<p>

When I read Senri's comment about me leaving cliff-hangers and looked at what I had planned next in the story, well . . . :3

This is not my answer to what Senri commented on, this was honestly supposed to happen. There are still a few more cliff-hanger endings of chapters planned, unfortunately. I believe they help to captivate readers, and . . . well, they make good places to stop writing, allowing me to post what I have written and work on the next part. I'm trying to keep a constant updating cycle going, so cliffhangers don't go unanswered for long.

For those wondering about the other cries of shock, this is the same waterfall that leads into Abon Village. Turns out Zacyr WAS leading them in the right direction after all . . .


	18. Of Fire And Ice

Kshtsi has fallen! Will he be alright? To find out, keep reading!

* * *

><p>Zacyr had to hurry. He quickly got down to the ground, ignoring the aggravating pain in his hand. <em>Why had he let go?<em> He'd been hurt more than that before, he shouldn't have-no, focus. He had to figure out the damage, he could blame himself later. Zacyr ran up to Kshtsi's limp form, barely noticing that Kshtsi had just been able to retract his tentacles before falling unconscious. The first thing Zacyr had to do was check for a heartbeat, and he sighed in relief when he found one.

"There!"

Zacyr looked up, and was completely shocked to find an entire _village_ in front of him. He hadn't even looked down here before, was this Abon? As villagers came over Zacyr backed away to give them room. He himself knew too little about wounds to-

Zacyr's left hand throbbed, burning like fire. Zacyr had heard that being stung by a box jellyfish felt like being branded with red-hot iron, but-_oh god!_ He had to bite back a cry of pain, _damn_ that hurt!

Zacyr really couldn't follow what happened next. By the time the pain went down enough for him to focus on anything else, he was in a hut as a woman gently bandaged his hand. "The best we can do is just let it run its course."

Zacyr nodded as he looked over at a bed that held Kshtsi's limp body. He looked like he was sleeping . . . "What about Kshtsi? Will he be alright?"

The woman smiled at Zacyr. "He's just taken a hard hit to his head. Just so you know, we found a good deal of broken glass in his pack. And just about everyone in the village here knows what Lihalune is, so . . . well, all the vials of it he had shattered from the hit."

Zacyr cringed. "Damn, we'll have to get some more then."

The woman gave Zacyr a sad smile. "We don't sell it here. Your friend's going to have to tough it out until the next village."

Zacyr immediately looked up. "He's not the one that suffers from hallucinations, I am."

The woman flinched but soon gave Zacyr a smile. "You trust him to hold your medicine?"

Zacyr nodded with a smile. "We've had our ups and downs, but overall he and I are friends. There uh . . . there will be a third person showing up soon, her name is Tachine. If you could tell her that we're here, I'd really appreciate it. Just so you know, she's uh . . . easily upset."

The woman's smile only grew. "Thanks for the warning. Anything else I should know?"

Zacyr gulped. "She doesn't know I suffer from hallucinations. If you could refrain from telling her, that'd be nice."

Zacyr was touched when the woman nodded again. "Of course."

With that, the woman left the room. Almost the instant she did Zacyr sighed in relief, cringing only when his left hand began burning. _Damn_, that hurt!

In spite of the pain he felt Zacyr weakly grinned. He remembered how he had chided Tachine for getting herself stung and how much she complained after getting stung. If Zacyr was going to be entirely honest with himself then he'd admit he should have been a bit more understanding. Sure he had already known about the box jellyfish's sting, but . . .

Zacyr almost chuckled as his hand seemed to scream in pain. While he knew that it would feel like being branded with red-hot iron . . . he had never _been_ branded with red-hot iron. Just being told that it hurt didn't automatically make a person prepared for the pain.

It was only when he heard Kshtsi roll over that Zacyr remembered the current situation. He blushed as he saw the large bruise on the back of Kshtsi's head. So . . . who was to blame for this? Zacyr wanted so badly to blame Tachine, but . . . well, she wasn't the one that made the rope-bridge now, did she? She didn't know that Kshtsi was a noble. That Kshtsi's sense of balance was nothing like theirs.

And of course . . . Zacyr shook his head. There had been a sturdy wooden bridge not _two hundred feet_ from where they had attempted to cross! If Zacyr hadn't automatically thought about his rope, if he had just _looked_ before he leapt . . .

And what if they _had_ crossed? This right here was Abon village! If they had crossed, they would have continued on farther into the forest! Who _knows_ what would have happened then? It wouldn't have been long before Tachine began the argument of them getting lost, and . . .

Now that Zacyr looked back on it . . . while Tachine certainly had anger management issues and her temper reminded Zacyr of a bomb that would explode at the slightest touch . . . every bomb had a trigger. Zacyr wasn't innocent in this. He _had_ set that trap near that bush. He hadn't even _thought_ about whether there was a chance Tachine could get caught in it.

And in the forest, he shouldn't have started snapping at Tachine. He himself knew how hard it was to walk through the forest. It was just difficult to pass off similar areas as . . . well, coincidence. Tachine had every right to have snapped at Zacyr during that time.

Zacyr soon looked at the base of the bed Kshtsi was on, seeing Kshtsi's pack sitting there. Even now the pink, almost-clear liquid Zacyr knew so well continued to seep out of the pack. The sight of it made Zacyr gulp as he reached into his own pack.

As his hands closed around two vials, Zacyr found a weak smile on his face. He had never told Kshtsi about these, though. Maybe Zacyr had done the right thing after all. As he grabbed out the two vials, he stared at them.

He had damn near forgotten about these. When Zacyr had been called back into that Alchemist shop in the village near Honeycomb Mansion, he had been shocked when the owner handed Zacyr these two vials of Lihalune free of charge. Zacyr had almost automatically put them into his own pack, deciding that they'd be fail-safes if anything went wrong during the trip.

What disturbed Zacyr was . . . he had lied to Kshtsi. Kshtsi had no idea Zacyr had gotten these vials, and now Zacyr wasn't even that certain on why he decided to not tell Kshtsi about them. Kshtsi was the closest thing Zacyr had to a friend. Didn't that mean Zacyr shouldn't keep secrets from him like this?

Zacyr sighed as he put the vials back into his pack. Once Kshtsi woke up, Zacyr would tell Kshtsi the truth for once. He'd tell Kshtsi about the Lihalune, and . . . well . . . Zacyr looked down at his shirt. He'd tell Kshtsi about _them_. He'd explain to Kshtsi that there was a _reason_ Zacyr wore shirts that were _far_ too large for him, that Zacyr refused to let anyone see him without his shirt on.

Zacyr was taken out of his thoughts as Tachine walked into the room, her eyes on Kshtsi. As Zacyr saw the worry in Tachine's eyes, Zacyr gulped. "Hi."

Tachine immediately glared at Zacyr, and for a moment she held that look. However, Zacyr was surprised when Tachine sat down in a chair a little bit away from Zacyr. "Zacyr, I realize I haven't been fair to you."

Zacyr was positive he hadn't heard that correctly. Tachine was still glaring at Zacyr even as she spoke. "I've lost my temper _multiple_ times with you, and many of those times it was over something so small that you didn't deserve the consequences. _But_"

Tachine's expression turned . . . well, _murderous_. "You didn't even stop at the bridge. When Kshtsi needed us, what did you do Zacyr? By the time Kshtsi was about to go over the waterfall, you were _nowhere in sight!_ This isn't a +Anima versus human thing anymore, Zacyr! _How could you abandon a friend?_"

That was when Zacyr understood. Tachine didn't know Zacyr had leapt off the side before Kshtsi had fallen, she didn't know that Zacyr had set it up so when Kshtsi fell over the edge, Zacyr was there to catch him. Zacyr couldn't help the small grin that appeared on his face, and as Tachine grew even angrier Zacyr realized she had seen him grin too.

Zacyr spoke quickly, trying to calm Tachine down. "Tachine, I didn't abandon him. I-"

He wasn't all that surprised when Tachine interrupted. "Oh? So you don't see running away from the situation as abandoning someone? Well then, I see how it is."

Hoping to defuse the situation, Zacyr budded in. "Tachine, you didn't see me because-"

Tachine's hands were clenched into fists as she spoke, her voice shaking with rage. "Oh, I see how it is _Zacyr_. So you're telling me that _I_ am the one who was seeing things that weren't real?"

Tachine continued to speak, but Zacyr didn't hear what she said. It couldn't be. She was saying Zacyr was the one seeing things that weren't real. There was only one possible explanation for why she would word it like that. _**SHE KNEW!**_ _She knew about his hallucinations!_ B-but _how?_

It stopped making sense for Zacyr. He had no idea that he had started shaking. He didn't know that his expression was of panic. All he could think about was what Tachine had just said-no, what she had just _revealed_. She wouldn't have worded it like that if she didn't know!

"Zacyr? Are you alright?"

Zacyr looked up at Tachine, his eyes wild with fear. "How?"

Zacyr didn't see the confusion in Tachine's eyes. "What? Zacyr, I'm not follow-"

He couldn't help it. All he could think about was what she knew. He _had _to know how she found out! "_How do you know?_"

Tachine visibly flinched, but all Zacyr cared about was getting her to answer. As she played dumb, Zacyr only went into more and more of a panic. "How do I know about _what?_ What did I _say_? Why are you-"

Zacyr wasn't even aware as he slammed his fist against a nearby table, aggravating the wound on his left hand. Now he didn't even _feel_ the pain, all his attention was focused on Tachine. As he stood up, Tachine did as well. Zacyr erupted. "_**STOP PLAYING DUMB YOU BITCH!**_ You know very well what I'm talking about! _Now answer the fucking question! HOW DID YOU LEARN THAT I SUFFER FROM HALLUCINATIONS?_"

Zacyr didn't see the shock on Tachine's face. He didn't see her visibly flinch. All he noticed of her actions in the next five seconds is that she _didn't_ give him the explanation. "_How long have you known? What allowed you to find out, how the FUCK did you learn about my condition? _Was it when we left Octopus, is _that_ why you had me lead the group through the forest? That must be it, you refused to let me out of your sight because you realized I wouldn't take my medicine so long as you were looking!"

Zacyr glared _viciously_ at Tachine, who paled as she began to back away. Zacyr matched her footsteps, his blood boiling with his anger. "Was that why you demanded we skip that village near Honeycomb Mansion, because you _knew_ that I had to go there to get more medicine? Or was it even before that? Was _that_ why you threw that perfume at me? You decided 'oh, he's just some _**FREAK**_ that can't tell illusion from reality. It doesn't matter if the creature goes after him, by the time he realizes the creature's _not_ a hallucination he'll be dead. But on the bright side, it saves _my_ ass!' Or was it even _before _that? Was that why you sent me off after the '_+Anima_' woke up, because you _knew_ I'd run into that same person I _saved you from_ and believe he was another hallucination? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE I CAME TO _**DYING**_ WHEN HE ATTACKED ME?"

By this point Zacyr had Tachine cornered. She weakly shook her head, but Zacyr wasn't listening anymore. "So that's it, huh? This _is_ +Anima versus human, isn't it? Did Kshtsi tell you? Yeah, that makes sense now. You two have been laughing behind my back this _entire_ time, haven't you? And to think I just saved his _fucking_ life by _**jumping off of a FUCKING cliff!**_"

Zacyr glared _viciously_ at Kshtsi's unconscious form. "He probably told you after you demanded me to get food for everyone, because 'I'm such a good trapper', _**RIGHT?**_ So you two decided to make it a game, _didn't you?_ Let's see how long we can keep it a secret that you knew, after all he's just another one of those damn _humans!_"

Zacyr glared viciously at Tachine, who finally spoke. "_Zacyr, I didn't know until you just SAID it! I had no-_"

Zacyr had heard enough, so it was just another part of their 'game' now was it? "_**BULLSHIT!**_"

But as Zacyr began to think about it, he grinned. "And that meant that this entire thing was staged, didn't it? The ultimate goal was to get the vials of _my_ medicine that were in _Kshtsi's_ pack to break. As you said, you've been here before. You probably _know_ they don't sell Lihalune here, so I'd have to suffer my hallucinations until we got to the next village, _**RIGHT?**_"

Zacyr grinned cruelly. "And when you two realized the medicine had worn off to the point that I was hallucinating again? You'd reveal the entire game you played to me, probably tie me up and leave me to die. Then you two would find some other 'normal' human and play your sick mind games with them, huh? Well guess what?"

Zacyr grabbed out the two vials from his pack, making certain Tachine could see them. "You made an error. I managed to get these two vials. I know that I was told by that girl and her grandmother that if I take both of these then I'll die, but I also know now that this entire _goddamn_ stunt of yours was set up! And why would you have her tell me that this would _kill_ me? Simple. I was _cured_ of my hallucinations _permanently _it would ruin your _**damn**_ game!"

Zacyr turned around and began marching towards the door. "I'm not a killer like you are, _+Anima!_ I _should_ have let that man kill you, maybe his reasoning behind his plan to kill you wasn't as _deluded_ as I thought! _Find someone else to play your DAMN mind-games with, I'm __**leaving**__!_"

With that Zacyr slammed the door behind him, leaving those _fucking_ +Anima behind him as he made for the staircases cut into the cliff-side. The only times that he knew for _certain_ that no one was fucking with him was when Zacyr was alone in the forest, so that would be where he'd go! Soon Zacyr walked over a small bridge into a field of dirt. He could see a few plants scattered about, but they were quite scarce.

Before he even made to go up the inclines in the cliff-side Zacyr uncorked the vials of Lihalune. For just a moment, he wondered . . . what if he was wrong? What if it _was_ just chance, what if this 'game' didn't actually exist?

It only took hearing one person laugh, it wasn't even at Zacyr. For a moment he was seven again, standing next to his mother's side and terrified of the world around him, desperately wanting the hallucinations to go away. Without a second thought Zacyr drank every last drop of the Lihalune in both vials. He deliberately dropped the now-empty vials on the soft ground before continuing on his way to the incline.

Two minutes later he felt a slight change in the temperature. Had it just gotten colder? He shrugged as he continued walking, that was entirely possible. But a minute later, he frowned. It was not a question anymore. It was _definitely_ a few degrees cooler. Probably a cold chill.

Zacyr made to walk forwards, but as he was tackled from behind Zacyr soon found himself on the ground with Tachine kneeling on Zacyr's back. He glared up at her, and was shocked to see . . . was that _guilt_ in her eye?

"_Just listen to me!_"

Zacyr grunted as he tried to get up, but Tachine just weighed too much for him to throw off. Eventually he sighed. "Like I have a _choice._"

He was shocked as Tachine gave a slight smile, but soon she shook her head. "Zacyr, I . . . I honestly didn't know. I-I didn't mean _that_, I was going to make a comment on how to most people, running away from the situation is _not_ considered helping a friend! Kshtsi didn't _ever_ tell me that, and it's not a mind game! I put you in front of the group because I saw it as a way for you to _show_ us what you could do! I was angry at Lady Beena's because I can't _stand_ people that act like they're superior to others! I wanted to skip the village because I _knew _it was a bad idea for me to go into a village next to the mansion when I was so angry! I sent you off to pick up your traps when Kshtsi woke up because I wanted to talk to him without anyone else nearby! I had no idea that you were attacked during that time, it was _never_ my attention, and this _sick_ mind game you think we were playing on you _doesn't exist!_"

Zacyr froze, in more ways than one. It was still getting colder, but he ignored that. "B-but what about Kshtsi? What about this village not selling Lihalune?"

Tachine slowly got off of Zacyr, who stood up as Tachine explained. "I didn't even know what Lihalune was until . . . about five or so minutes ago."

Zacyr looked the other way. Now that the shock was starting to pass, his thoughts were starting to clear. And once he looked back at what he thought before, Zacyr actually blushed. "Oh . . . I uh, I went nuts for a bit there, huh?"

Tachine sighed in relief. "At least it was temporary. Look Zacyr, I have a lot of questions, but . . ."

Tachine suddenly eyed Zacyr weirdly. "Are you . . . are you _shivering?_"

Zacyr nodded. It was only getting colder out here, was this normal? "_What the hell is going on, how could the temperature drop this much in such a short amount of time?_"

Tachine looked confused. "What are you talking about? I'm almost _sweating_ over here."

It was getting hard to speak. Zacyr's teeth were beginning to chatter. "Th-then why d-do I f-feel s-so c-cold?"

Tachine shrugged, and soon put a gentle hand to Zacyr's forehead. Almost immediately she gave a cry of shock and brought her hand back. "_**WHAT THE HELL? **_Your skin's ice-cold to the touch! What . . . oh, no."

Zacyr's shivering was getting violent as Tachine reached into her pocket. Zacyr's eyes opened wide as Tachine brought out the two empty vials Zacyr had earlier disposed of. But . . . "I-i-it _c-can't _b-be."

It was getting hard to see, it was getting hard to move, and Zacyr was beginning to get . . . sleepy? As Tachine called out to some of the villagers, Zacyr suddenly realized he couldn't feel his hands. This was insane, how could he be this cold if it was warm out? Surely two vials of Lihalune wouldn't do . . . wouldn't do that.

Zacyr's thoughts were starting to slow down. He couldn't keep up with what the people around him were saying. Soon he was being carried somewhere, but he wasn't able to focus enough to figure out where they were taking him. It was getting so hard to think, all Zacyr could really think about was how tired he was feeling.

He wasn't too certain what happened next, but the blurry area near him began to shift. Soon he found that his eyes were closed and he was lying down with a large amount of weight on him, and he heard a fire going in a fireplace. As his mind began to speed back up, he heard three voices. He recognized one as Tachine's, one of them . . . sounded familiar to Zacyr, but he couldn't place whose it was. The last one he just didn't know. All three of the voices seemed to echo in his head, they sounded so strange . . .

But as Zacyr's brain began to pick up the pace, he began to understand what the voices were saying, and listened in as the stranger spoke. "Lihalune is a dangerous potion. In fact, it's not truly a potion at all. Do you know what your friend has been ingesting? _Poison!_"

Zacyr heard the other two voices gasp, and he frowned. He knew that second voice from somewhere . . . it was male . . . ugh, who was it? "But they said it-"

"-Lihalune is made out of three separate ingredients. First, the pollen of a special flower that only blooms in the full moon is mixed with a special weed. Now many other poisons have this same make-up, the only difference is the type of weed used. For instance, if the Abon plant was mixed with it, the resulting poison would be _deadly_. However, the weed used in Lihalune causes the poison to instead become much less powerful."

"What about water, wasn't that the other ingredient?"

"Yes, and it's the most important one. The poison must be diluted with a good deal of water, or it _will_ kill the drinker. When drunk, Lihalune affects only the person's brain."

"But the first time that Zacyr drank it, it also affected his stomach."

Wait, wasn't that . . . _Kshtsi!_ He was awake! Zacyr forced his eyes to open, and he saw both Tachine and Kshtsi talking to a man. So Kshtsi was awake now. The man spoke to Kshtsi. "No, it doesn't. It affects what his _brain_ thinks his stomach feels. It causes the brain to believe the stomach is in pain, leading to the body's pain receptors going off and causing the person pain. The upset stomach is caused by the body trying to reject the poison, and eventually the drinker builds up a resistance to it."

Zacyr looked around, and was surprised to find that he was covered in blanket after blanket. He gave an involuntary shiver, but overall his body was starting to heat up again. He was surprised when Tachine spoke up. "So this is caused solely by his mind thinking he's cold?"

The stranger shook his head. "It's actually the opposite. His brain thinks he's _extremely _warm. As such, it's causing his body to rapidly expel heat while it also attempts to stop taking in more heat. As such, he's getting cold. It's quite surprising how efficient the body is with dealing with heat, and the trick to keeping him alive until this wears off is to warm him up to a temperature close to what his body THINKS it is."

Kshtsi sighed. "You know, we also were warned that he shouldn't take Lihalune the day before a full moon, though the person never explained why."

The stranger looked over at Zacyr, giving a slight grin as they realized Zacyr was waking up. "No one who has ever experienced the full-moon effect has ever taken another Lihalune again. They just won't do it. Many of them show _extreme_ psychological trauma. So this is a warning to all three of you. Don't let him take a Lihalune during a full-moon."

With that the stranger left the room. Kshtsi watched the door as Tachine looked over at Zacyr, her eyes going wide as she realized Zacyr was awake. She tapped Kshtsi on the shoulder, and soon the two of them were sitting in chairs next to Zacyr. Tachine spoke first, and Zacyr almost chuckled at the worry on her face. "So how do you feel, Zacyr?"

Zacyr smiled weakly at them. "A little chilly, still. I'm starting to warm up though."

Tachine looked relieved. Zacyr then smiled at Kshtsi. "Wow, you woke up quickly."

A hint of a smile appeared on Kshtsi's face as he nodded towards the window. Zacyr looked, and he was shocked when he saw the night sky. "What? But we got here a bit after noon!"

Tachine and Kshtsi smiled at each other before Tachine spoke. "Zacyr, you uh . . . you passed out, about . . . uh . . . sixteen hours ago."

Zacyr flinched at that. "_Sixteen hours?_"

Kshtsi nodded. "Y-yeah. I woke up about three hours after you passed out. I was _not_ expecting it when Tachine explained what happened."

Zacyr blushed furiously. "It . . . uh . . . it was _not_ one of my better moments."

Both Kshtsi and Tachine laughed at that. Tachine spoke softly, her eyes sparkling in glee. "I have to say though, it was one of your more . . . _creative_ moments though, I _still_ can't follow the logic behind what you said. But . . . you did say _something_ that got to me."

Zacyr cocked his head, and Tachine looked the other way. "I . . . when you spat out the word +Anima, I was so shocked. It took a while before I figured out it was the same way I normally spit out the word 'normal'. You . . . I've been treating you like shit for almost the entire journey, do you think . . ."

Zacyr smiled as he slipped a hand out from under the bed covers, holding it out for Tachine to shake. "Friends?"

Zacyr saw Tachine smile as she gently grabbed Zacyr's hand, the two of them lightly shaking hands. "Friends."

* * *

><p>I'll admit it, this was originally going to end in a cliffhanger as well. But I have to say that I kind of like this better. Thanks for the tip Senri!<p> 


	19. There She Was

Not too much time has passed, perhaps four hours. During this time, Zacyr has slowly recovered. Now they are ready to leave: Zacyr needs more Lihalune, and Abon village doesn't sell it.

So what will happen on the journey there? And why the heck is this story called 'We FOUR Freaks' if there have only been THREE Freaks (not meant insultingly) the story has been following?

* * *

><p>Kshtsi, Tachine, and Zacyr waved goodbye to the villagers of Abon. After thanking them for all of their help the three of them left Abon village behind them. Kshtsi had to smile as both Tachine and Zacyr began actually conversing with each other, now this was <em>much<em> better.

"So Zacyr, this might not be the best time to ask, but how _did_ you live through me stabbing your heart?"

Zacyr smiled back at Tachine. "Who says I _did_ live through it? I died and reanimated as a zombie. Next time, aim for the head."

Tachine chuckled and soon Zacyr sighed. "I'm sorry, that's . . . I'm honestly trying to figure that one out. Once I have it fully figured out, I promise I'll tell you two, alright?"

Kshtsi and Tachine nodded, and soon Kshtsi decided to ask something himself. "So how are you feeling now Zacyr?"

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi. "Still a tiny bit cold, but nothing I can't handle. And yourself Kshtsi?"

Kshtsi smiled as well. "Slight headache, but it's going away."

It wasn't long before they all were speaking about what they needed to do, and soon Zacyr explained that he needed to make some more rope sometime soon. Tachine surprised Kshtsi when she asked Zacyr about his rope, and soon both Kshtsi and Tachine smiled as Zacyr happily explained the strengths and weaknesses of his rope.

The conversation went back and forth between all three of them, but it came to a stop as they all noticed a good-sized group headed their way. In the middle of the group was a large covered wagon. While Kshtsi wasn't too worried at first both Tachine and Zacyr eyed it carefully. Eventually Kshtsi asked, and Zacyr nodded to the caravan. "Something's wrong here. There's over nine people in that group, why is there only one wagon?"

As Kshtsi looked at the caravan Tachine added her own observations. "It's more than that, Zacyr. Look at the people themselves."

Zacyr nodded. "Tough. Each and every one of them has an unusual amount of muscle. What's more, many of them have scars that don't look like they were made by normal weapons. That one there, that scar around his eye . . . that looks like he was slashed at by a tiger, or"

Tachine finished the sentence. "A tiger +Anima. Those scars could be from animals or +Anima, but according to that bite-mark of a massive dragonfly on that one's shoulder I'm thinking it's +Anima. If they ask, there are no +Anima in our group."

Both Kshtsi and Zacyr nodded at the same time. Kshtsi looked at the group approaching them, and Zacyr mumbled to Tachine and Kshtsi. "Considering that they're still alive, they clearly know how to fight. If there's any chance to escape a fight, we take it. If they say we are to go with them, we do so. If they try to tie us up, we run."

Tachine nodded. At Kshtsi's question, Tachine spoke. "If they ask us to follow them, we do so. If they resort to force _then_ we try to escape."

Ah, that made sense now. Zacyr and Tachine signaled for silence as the group got close to the caravan. Soon both groups eyed each other, and Kshtsi felt his heart almost stop beating. Each second took an agonizingly long amount of time to pass by, and Kshtsi was certain something was going to go wrong. When the groups were finally passed each other, both Kshtsi and Tachine sighed in relief.

That was when Zacyr moved quickly, shoving both Tachine and Kshtsi to the ground. Kshtsi looked up in time to see three lassoes pass through the air. Because of Zacyr's actions, two of those lassoes caught nothing. The third one caught Zacyr.

As they heard people in the other group grunt in effort Zacyr went flying back. Tachine and Kshtsi turned around as Zacyr tumbled to a stop, the lasso slipping off and leaving Zacyr facing the thugs. One thug chuckled as he walked up to Zacyr. "Not bad kid."

Kshtsi was horrified when the thug introduced a dagger to Zacyr's chest. Zacyr's gasped once before going limp. The thug chuckled as he tossed Zacyr's body behind their group. "But we saw the way he looked at us. That wasn't the frightened glance of prey. That was of a guardian. He wasn't concerned for his safety because he ain't a +Anima, but _you_ two a-"

The thug suddenly froze with a look of shock, and Kshtsi grinned as the thug fell forwards, revealing Zacyr standing there with a bloodied dagger. The other thugs froze in place as they looked at Zacyr, who grunted as he removed the dagger from his chest, blood flowing from the wound. "Nice try, dipshit. But it's going to take more than a fatal wound to kill me."

Zacyr turned and tried to dash for the forest, but one thug-the leader, by the looks of him-managed to grab Zacyr by the back of the shirt. That same thug soon tossed Zacyr at the wagon, and Zacyr cried out in pain as the wagon shuddered. The thug chuckled as he addressed his comrades. "Go get his friends, I've got this kid."

Kshtsi and Tachine both looked at each other, this was bad! Even with Zacyr's bizarre ability to survive a stab at the heart . . . they gulped as the other thugs began walking their way. The supposed leader of the thugs crouched in front of Zacyr, who looked up at him with anger. The thug simply chuckled as he reached for Zacyr's throat.

That was when the large black scorpion claw tore through the white canvas of the wagon, quickly going around the startled man's neck. As the thugs turned and stared at the claw a cruel girl's chuckle reverberated through the air. "Snip snip."

The claw closed, and everyone watched with shock as the man's head fell away from his body. Kshtsi gulped as the large claw retracted into the hole, and soon two human hands pressed against the hole and pushed, enlarging it. Soon Kshtsi was shocked when a young teenage girl's head popped out of the hole, a cruel smile on her face.

Her black hair was a mess, and there was a demonic glee in her purple eyes. Even though she could only have been 13 or so-around Zacyr's age-she still had a murderous aura around her. The only thing she wore was a couple of rags stitched together. As the girl leapt out of the hole, landing in front of a clearly startled Zacyr, Kshtsi noticed most of the thugs gulped.

The girl smirked as she cracked her knuckles. "Now I'll only say this once. If you forget this rule, it will cost you your life."

The thugs all cringed, and a cruel smirk appeared on the girl's face. "The winner lives. And they are the ONLY one that lives. Savvy?"

Zacyr soon got to his feet and the girl turned around to face him. While Kshtsi wasn't able to see the girl's expression, her voice was filled with authority and . . . respect? "You've done enough, this is _my_ fight now."

Zacyr nodded as he walked a slight bit away, soon going behind the wagon. Just as Zacyr was completely out of sight, one of the thugs swore. "Oh, no you _won't!_ Not after your earlier trick, _boy_!"

Kshtsi barely turned in time to see one of the thugs fire an arrow at the wagon. The arrow tore through the thin canvas of the wagon to the other side, and Kshtsi's heart caught in his throat as he heard Zacyr scream in pain. The girl gnashed her teeth as she held her arms out. Kshtsi was amazed as both of the girl's upper arms and hands became scorpion claws, and a large scorpion's tail left the back of her clothes, ejecting a single drop of venom.

The girl charged at the archer, knocking him to the side. The other thugs all charged at the girl, but Kshtsi was both amazed and horrified when in the time-span of ten seconds all those thugs were dead. The girl grinned as she walked up to the archer, who was nocking an arrow with trembling fingers. "S-stay back Toxic Sting!"

The girl glared at the archer. "My _name_ is Sarysi. Tell the devil I said hello."

"_He's mine!"_

Kshtsi turned in shock to see Zacyr standing next to the wagon, holding a bow and having nocked an arrow wet with blood. Kshtsi was really shocked, he had no _idea_ Zacyr knew how to use a bow! But Kshtsi had seen experts using bows, and Zacyr's stance was that of a skilled archer. Zacyr winced as he pulled back the string, and Kshtsi saw blood flowing from a wound in Zacyr's arm. So Zacyr had been hit in the arm with the arrow?

Zacyr grinned as he fired and Kshtsi was further convinced Zacyr knew what he was doing when his aim was true. The shot hit the thug dead in the heart. As the thug fell to the ground Kshtsi saw Zacyr toss the bow to the side and smile at the girl. "It's nice to meet you Sarysi."

As Sarysi smiled at Zacyr, Kshtsi noticed her scorpion traits retract. "Same."

Kshtsi gulped, but he soon noticed that Tachine seemed rather scared of Sarysi too. Eventually Tachine cleared her throat. "Hey-uh, thanks for helping us out before. If we ever see you again we'll repay the debt, but right now we have to go."

Kshtsi and Tachine turned around, both sighing in relief towards each other. Kshtsi had to admit, Sarysi frightened him. She may have been as young as Zacyr, but her fighting skills meant that she could easily murder the group. They both inwardly sighed as they heard Sarysi start walking the other way.

"Sarysi, wait."

Kshtsi and Tachine froze and looked at each other. At the same time they turned to look at Zacyr, what was he up to? Sarysi seemed genuinely surprised as she looked at Zacyr. "Hmm?"

Zacyr cleared his throat before gesturing towards Kshtsi and Tachine. "If you want to come with us, you're more than welcome to."

Kshtsi and Tachine both looked at each other with complete shock. _What the hell was Zacyr doing?_ They both turned to face Zacyr, and Kshtsi noticed Sarysi nodding over towards Kshtsi and Tachine. "I don't think they like that idea."

Zacyr subtly glared at Tachine and Kshtsi. Kshtsi couldn't believe it. Was Zacyr _angry_ at them for trying to send Sarysi off? "I think they just need some time to warm up to you. They did with me too-hell, Tachine stabbed me in the _heart_ before she finally warmed up to me. Since they're scared of you, I don't think you would have to worry about that."

Kshtsi was speechless. Tachine blushed as she looked the other way, but she eventually shook her head. "Zacyr, I just . . . why?"

Zacyr looked back at Kshtsi and Tachine, and placed his hands on his hips. "I have kept my cool around a massive bee-like creature-I damn near turned it into a _pet_-and you are asking me why I feel like letting her in our group? Just because I'm the one that suffers from hallucinations doesn't mean you two should only look at her with your goddamn eyes! Don't judge someone just because they look scary to you!"

Kshtsi blushed, he couldn't believe it. The worst part was that . . . well, Zacyr had a point. Sarysi seemed amused as she eyed them, but eventually Tachine smiled. "Zacyr, now I think you're trying to see if you can piss me off. But . . . yeah, I guess you've got us there. But can I ask you a question?"

Zacyr nodded, and Tachine raised an eyebrow. "So why did you judge the thugs by the scars on them?"

Zacyr flinched before he blushed. "I uh . . . I . . . well I uh . . . I . . . um . . . uh . . . w-well, that was . . . I was more worried about you two."

Tachine raised an eye-brow and put her hands on her hips. "Okay . . . and the reason that doesn't apply to her is . . ."

Zacyr blushed furiously. "Because . . . I think . . . well . . ."

Kshtsi flinched as Zacyr twiddled his fingers. "She's really pretty."

Now it was Sarysi's turn to blush, and blush she _did_. Kshtsi and Tachine both looked at each other, and soon they had very broad grins on their faces. Tachine looked at Zacyr as she placed her hands on her hips. "Zacyr, are you saying you . . . _like_ her like her?"

Zacyr looked the other way. "I uh . . . s-she _can_ stay, right?"

Kshtsi grinned as Tachine spoke again, her voice teasing. "Only if you answer the question."

Zacyr placed his hands on his hips. But before he could speak Tachine raised a hand to silence him. "I'm just kidding Zacyr, she can stay."

Both Kshtsi and Tachine laughed as Zacyr's face lit up with joy, and soon Sarysi was laughing as well. Once they exchanged proper greetings, the group continued on their way with their new group-member.

* * *

><p>YES! I DID IT! Sarysi has entered the group, FINALLY!<p>

Thanks for all the reviews! The next chapter shouldn't take too long to make.


	20. The Freak

Zacyr's hallucinations aren't the only thing he hides.

And will Tachine _ever_ learn how to correctly say Zacyr's name?

* * *

><p>As the sun began to set, Tachine sighed. The scenery had changed very little. The path was still to the right of a forest, the same forest that had been there since about noon. Tachine looked towards her left, towards the forest, and smiled as she saw a small pond not too far in. "Alright, this is where we stop for now."<p>

Kshtsi, Acyr, and Sarysi both looked towards the forest and soon agreed. As Kshtsi went fishing - meaning he jumped into the pond, went into his +Anima form, and soon came out with quite a few fish hanging from his waist - Tachine and Acyr gathered berries. All three of them were surprised when Sarysi appeared holding a few rabbits. While they didn't look all that appetizing after Sarysi was done cooking them, Tachine had to admit the rabbits didn't taste bad at all.

They didn't talk that much during the meal, but only because they were all rather enjoying the silence. During this time Tachine thought about Sarysi. The entire walk here Tachine had seen Sarysi to be a silent person that just didn't speak all that much. However she _also_ seemed quite excited, like she hadn't seen nature in some time.

Tachine noticed that as Sarysi ate she also glanced at Acyr a few times, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. During the walk Acyr had explained to Sarysi about how he wasn't a +Anima, how he didn't remember much about his past, and he also explained that he weaved his own rope. Sarysi hadn't asked many questions, though it didn't appear to be caused by a lack of interest.

When the group was done eating, Sarysi cleared her throat. "So Acyr, during your encounter with those bastards, I heard you say something like 'it's going to take more than a fatal wound to kill me'. Do you care to elaborate?"

Tachine smiled, deciding she could butt in. "It's actually happened twice now. Someone stabs him in the heart with a dagger and he not only _lives_ through it, he's barely hurt."

When Tachine saw a sparkle appear in Sarysi's eyes, she laughed. Sarysi looked at Acyr eagerly, but as Acyr looked away Tachine decided she would explain what Acyr had said. "He's not entirely certain how-"

"-no."

Tachine and Kshtsi flinched as Acyr gulped. He soon stood up, looking very nervous. "I . . . at first I thought it was just me being lucky. I was . . . afraid to admit to myself that it was anything else. Look, when I woke up in the forest without a good deal of my memory, I remembered the hallucinations. The first hallucination I saw, I was almost impressed at how _realistic_ it was."

Acyr gulped again. "But as time went on, I saw other hallucinations. I remembered how to tell them apart: to use my other senses. During that time . . . I began to grow afraid. The first hallucination hadn't stopped. I had no reprieve from it. And when I used my other senses, I was thoroughly alarmed when they proved it was real."

Tachine almost told him to get to the point, but she held back. Acyr wasn't fooling around this time, this was the real thing. She could see the fear and the worry in Acyr's eyes. "But I instead decided that there was no way it was real. There was no way . . . and then I saw the bee-creature. I naturally decided that couldn't be real either, but that was disproven.

"I knew that there was only one more way to find out, but . . . I didn't want to try it. The one sure-fire way for me to know if a hallucination is real is to see anyone else interact with it. But I didn't know what would be worse, to learn that they _were_ hallucinations or to learn that they were real. For those three days I tried to work up the nerve to show it to Kshtsi, but I could never do it. Then . . ."

Acyr looked at Tachine. "Then you stabbed me, and I didn't die. I felt the pain, but it wasn't in my chest. At the time I least expected it, you gave me undeniable proof that they were there. I . . . I want to show you three 'it' without actually telling you what 'it' is. Can you . . . tell me what you see?"

Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi all nodded, and Acyr gulped. "Okay. I . . ."

Acyr gulped as his hands retracted into his shirt. The entire time they did, Tachine could see the fear in Acyr's eyes. He was afraid of the answer, no matter which answer he got. But eventually he sighed and began to take off his shirt.

The instant his shirt got over his stomach, Tachine's mind disconnected. No way. There . . . there was no way this could be . . . Folded up over Acyr's stomach was a second set of arms! While that moment seemed to take forever, Tachine was even more deeply shocked when Acyr's shirt revealed a _third_ set of arms folded over his chest. On the right arm of the set folded against Acyr's chest was a bandage, covering the exact spot of the arm that was above his heart. Tachine just . . . she couldn't believe it. As Acyr finally got the shirt off, Kshtsi gulped. "A-Acyr, you have . . . _you have six arms!_"

As Sarysi and Tachine confirmed it with nods, Acyr cringed. "So they _are_ real after all."

Tachine gulped, still trying to take in the sight in front of her. _Acyr had six arms_. And this was the answer to his 'immortality'. His middle set of arms was protecting his chest! Still, there was a good-sized bandage covering his chest as well. Maybe Tachine's blade had gotten through, and that was why Acyr hadn't been that certain on whether it was proof or not. Still . . .

"But _how?_"

Acyr gulped as he looked the other way. "I don't know. Everyone I've found that knew me never once mentioned that I had six arms. While it may just be that I never told them . . . it seems rather strange that I should have them from birth and keep it hidden."

Tachine nodded, her mind still reeling in shock. So the reason Acyr was afraid of the answer was simple. If he had been told that they weren't real, he would be worried about his own sanity. And now that he knew they _were_ real, he wanted to know how he had gotten them, and whether he was born with them.

"So are they functional?"

Tachine flinched as she looked back at Sarysi. Unlike Tachine, Sarysi's eyes showed very clear envy towards Acyr. "Well?"

Tachine almost laughed at the look Acyr gave Sarysi. It was like the question just didn't make sense to Acyr. "I . . . I don't know, I've never tried to use them because I thought they were hallucinations, remember?"

Sarysi grinned as she shook her head. "So _try it!_"

Acyr flinched, but he frowned as he looked down at his hands. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, clearly concentrating. It wasn't until Tachine realized Acyr had never used those hands before that she realized he probably didn't know how to naturally move them. But as they watched, his hands slowly unfolded.

The movements were anything but smooth. It was like a puppet being used by an amateur. Soon those hands were hanging limp at his sides, and eventually he held them outstretched. Tachine's eyes opened wide as a thought crossed her mind. If she had seen Acyr like this as just a silhouette, she would have mistaken him for a HUGE spider! Acyr's love for string, his skill with rope, his skill at trapping . . . and it was now revealed that he had eight limbs, including his legs. Was it possible . . . "Acyr, I think you're a +Anima. A spider +Anima."

Kshtsi and Sarysi both looked at Tachine, but Acyr chuckled as he folded his arms back up, soon putting back on the shirt. "You don't think I've thought about that? What was the fourth thing I asked you, including me saying 'can I ask you a question'?"

Tachine raised an eyebrow. "How good do you think my memory is? Hell, how do _you_ remember?"

Acyr chuckled as he shrugged. "It was the first question I _wanted_ to ask. I asked you if all +Anima had a mark. That wasn't just some random question Tachine, I wanted to know if I _had_ to have a mark to be a +Anima. When you confirmed it, I knew for certain I wasn't. I've looked all over my body, I don't have a mark."

Tachine frowned as she thought about it. _Six arms_ . . . that was _insane_. Sarysi surprised Tachine when she spoke up, her voice about as calm as Acyr's. "No, he's not a +Anima. If he was a spider +Anima, those would be spider legs, not arms. First though . . . Acyr, take the shirt off and turn around."

Acyr complied, and soon Tachine sighed. From behind, the only thing out of place was that he had a bandage that went in-between his normal arms and the middle pair, probably to cover a wound to his chest. Sarysi shrugged, stating that maybe Acyr was born with it.

Tachine wasn't convinced. "Acyr, what if it's underneath the bandage?"

Acyr sighed as undid the bandage, and Tachine was really surprised to not see a +Anima mark. Soon Acyr re-bandaged the spot, turned around and put on his shirt. As he did Kshtsi spoke up. "Besides, doesn't it seem strange he'd only grow a few extra arms? I know some people only become a small part +Anima, but that doesn't change the fact that the arms are undeniably human."

Tachine gnashed her teeth. "Then how is it possible? He shouldn't have two extra pairs of arms if-"

Tachine flinched as Sarysi put a claw to Tachine's mouth. As Tachine looked at Sarysi, Sarysi nodded over at Acyr. Tachine blushed as she saw tears flowing from Acyr's eyes. "I-I didn't mean it like that Acyr."

Acyr gulped as he looked the other way. "It doesn't make it any less true. I'm not a +Anima, and I'm not a normal person. I'm a _freak_."

Tachine didn't know what to say. She really wanted to disprove that thought, but how could she? 'Some of the most normal people I know had six arms' . . . no, Acyr wasn't stupid enough to believe that. _No one_ was that stupid. S-

"Hey Acyr."

Everyone looked at Sarysi, who had a kind smile on her face. "You told me before that you weave your own rope, right?"

Acyr nodded, looking just as curious as Tachine felt. What was Sarysi up to?

"Can you teach us how to do it?"

Tachine wasn't really certain how Sarysi did it. In the span of ten minutes Acyr had gathered the materials, and he was soon showing Tachine, Kshtsi, and Sarysi how he did it. At first Tachine really wasn't that interested, but soon she was surprised at the complexity behind Acyr's weaving skills.

After Sarysi understood it, she asked Acyr if he realized he could do it so much faster than them. At first Tachine (who had been a little tangled up at that time) was thinking Sarysi meant Acyr's skill _far_ exceeded their own, which was _certainly_ true. But Sarysi startled them all when she explained that she meant Acyr could use all six of his arms to do it.

While that was the basis of what Sarysi had said, she had in no way said it like that. Tachine was impressed at how Sarysi was gently persuading Acyr to use his extra hands, and soon they smiled as Acyr's speed tripled. It wasn't that each set of arms was weaving different rope. It was that Acyr could use his extra hands to help him with the creation of a single length of rope.

While at first the movements were slow and jerky, Acyr soon began to really gain control of them. When the sun sank out of sight Acyr was really getting into it, and his control over his bottom hands was enough that the movements were becoming smooth, though he often moved the wrong fingers still. Eventually they called it a night. Tachine was surprised when she realized Acyr was quite content with his arms now.

As she and Sarysi laid down to go to sleep, Tachine asked how Sarysi was able to calm Acyr down. She simply smiled. "He had to look at it differently. At first he was thinking of his arms as nothing other than hallucinations. Then he was horrified to learn they were real because he saw them as freaky. _Now_ he knows that they can be useful."

With that Sarysi rolled over, and she soon got Tachine to chuckle as she snored loudly. Soon Tachine began drifting off, but right before she did she chuckled again at the thought that Acyr was afraid of spiders.

* * *

><p>Well.<p>

So _that_'s why he can survive a stab to the heart. He's not immortal, and he's not a zombie. He simply has six arms . . . that sentence looks so strange to me. What is MORE, he's _not_ a +Anima? Is it a mutation at birth? Did he find two dead people and in a fit of maniacal rage rip off their arms and stitch them to his own body?

Next chapter may take a while. I've got ideas for the next parts, but I want to do a slight amount of organizing and fine-tuning them before I really try writing it.


	21. Back For More

Someone's out there in the forest. Someone out there is hunting, but it's not for food, and it's not for sport.

Zacyr best be careful. He's not the only one setting traps anymore.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD. And adult humor. And death. You have been warned.

* * *

><p>Zacyr yawned as he put the finishing touches on the . . . let's see here . . . 30th trap he had going now. Once he made sure the string was taut, he smiled. Night was over now, and Zacyr had been the first one up this morning. He wanted to treat the group to breakfast for once.<p>

Still, he wanted to go back by the group soon. If Tachine woke up and fell for a trap, Zacyr was worried she would think it was intentional again. Zacyr nodded to no one in particular as he began walking towards the clearing the other members of his group should still be in, thirty traps was enough.

It was only when Zacyr noticed the sounds of leaves rustling behind him that he realized he was being followed. It wasn't a bear or a wolf. The thing had to be bipedal, and it was keeping time with Zacyr's footsteps in an attempt to cover up its own. That wasn't a predator's trick. That was a _thief's_ trick.

Zacyr could only grin as he lightly stepped over a trip-wire. Not more than five steps later he chuckled as he heard a cry of shock behind him and the trap spring. Whoever had been following him was now caught in the trap.

Zacyr looked back, and was shocked to see a boy with scales around his head now caught in Zacyr's net. The boy's head was pretty ornately decorated, and there was something strange about his eyes. Zacyr had no doubt this was a +Anima, but of what creature . . . _ah_. "A chameleon?"

The boy glared down at Zacyr, a scowl on his face as his scales flashed yellow. "You are correct, _Zacyr_."

Now Zacyr was confused. He focused his sight on the boy, wondering . . . no, he didn't recall the person's form in the slightest. This wasn't anyone that Zacyr knew, so how did they know Zacyr's name? "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"

Zacyr flinched as an angry voice came from somewhere behind him. "_I_ told him, _that's_ how!"

Zacyr turned around and froze as he saw a different +Anima charging at him. This +Anima was almost a complete animal. They were covered in black fur and boasted a large white stripe down their back that ended with a slight tail. And as Zacyr was reeling in shock the +Anima brought back a hand fitted with good-sized claws, and embedded them into Zacyr's chest.

Zacyr almost grinned as his middle pair of arms took what should have been a fatal blow. But instead he stared intently at the +Anima's face. He knew those blue eyes from somewhere, but where? As the boy brought his hand back with shock Zacyr bit back a curse. "Why does _everyone_ stab me? Who the hell are you?"

Zacyr backed away from this +Anima, almost unconsciously heading towards another of his own traps. As the +Anima regained its confidence it charged, and Zacyr quickly backed up past another trip-wire, careful not to set it off. The +Anima wasn't quite as fortunate, and it soon cursed as it was hoisted into the air by the leg. Zacyr chuckled, until the chameleon +Anima shouted. "_Now Rudeg!_"

When Zacyr suddenly felt his back sprayed with liquid, he couldn't believe it. Had someone just _urinated_ on-_**OH GOD!**_ Zacyr felt his eyes water as he brought a hand to his nose. What was that _smell?_ Zacyr could only gag at the repulsive odor, what the _hell_-

"Got him."

Zacyr turned around, and his eyes opened wide at the sight of the dark-skinned, white-haired blue-eyed girl that had been behind him. The strange thing was that her skin wasn't the normal dark-skinned look. Her skin was as black as the night sky! She had a large furry tail, entirely black except for two large stripes down the back of the tail. Zacyr immediately recognized the sight. This was a skunk +Anima! _He had just been sprayed by a skunk +Anima!_ "_God damn it!_ What the hell was-"

Zacyr had no warning as two large green insect arms reached over his shoulder, and Zacyr cried out in pain as the arms folded up, impaling Zacyr's arms with large spikes. He looked behind himself, and was surprised to see _yet another_ +Anima. This one was tall, had dark skin and black hair. While he wore a stern look it also seemed rather pitying. His arms were the green insect arms now pinning Zacyr's 'normal' arms in place. Was this a Preying Mantis +Anima? "I apologize sir, but look at the bright side. You won't be able to smell it for long. He's immobilized, Edreg!"

Zacyr frowned as he looked back up at the strange fur-covered +Anima. He knew that name from somewhere . . . but what type of +Anima was this? It wasn't a bear +Anima, and for some reason the term 'Honey Badger' appeared in Zacyr's m . . . honey . . . honey . . . no, it couldn't be. Zacyr looked closely at the +Anima's face. Now that he knew what to look for he could see that where the kid's normal hair should have been his fur had a few blonde highlights. Zacyr's eyes opened wide at his revelation. This was the boy that had tried to scam him in the village near Honeycomb Mansion!

As Edreg reached up and sliced through the rope holding his leg, as well as the one holding the Chameleon +Anima in the net, Zacyr's mind was racing. This . . . but how? They weren't anywhere _near_ Honeycomb Mansion, how could this be . . .

Edreg landed gracefully on the ground, but the same couldn't be said for the chameleon +Anima. As the chameleon +Anima introduced his face to the ground _hard_, Edreg looked at him. "You ok Cody?"

Cody, as Edreg called him, smiled at Edreg. "I'm fine. Hey Kesi, come and join the party!"

Zacyr could only pale as a _fifth_ +Anima, this one _clearly _a porcupine +Anima, walked into view. This one was almost _entirely_ a porcupine, right down to the fact that it was walking on four legs. Soon it turned into a young boy that had white hair and green eyes, who eyed Zacyr just as hatefully as Edreg was. Zacyr still couldn't believe it as he looked at Edreg, _this_ was the same boy that Zacyr had seen . . . however long ago? "You . . . when did you become a +Anima?"

Edreg gnashed his teeth as he began walking over by Zacyr, keeping up his +Anima form. "About twelve hours after my father kicked me out of the house! And that was about . . . fifteen minutes after he saw me selling to you."

Zacyr gnashed his teeth. "You tried to trick me into paying _twice_ the amount for Lihalune!"

Zacyr paled as Edreg grinned cruelly, though soon Edreg accidentally sniffed the air. Zacyr did too, and both of them gagged at Zacyr's stench. Edreg looked at the black-skinned girl with annoyance in his eyes. "Damn Rudeg, how much did you _use?_"

Considering the skunk +Anima responded, Zacyr could guess that it was her. She didn't even look at Zacyr as she responded, and the way she spoke about him would have been about appropriate if she was talking about a dog."Three shots, enough that if he got away all we'd have to do was follow the smell."

The white-haired porcupine +Anima covered his nose as he replied. "Ugh, that smells _awful!_"

Zacyr saw Rudeg give a smirk. "Well, that's a human for you Kesi. Oh, and I also sprayed him. Personally I think he smells better like this."

Zacyr glared at the girl, but she refused to meet his gaze as she looked at Edreg. "Just kill him and get it over with, a human's too stupid to understand why they should die."

Zacyr gnashed his teeth, how _dare _she talk to him like that! But as Edreg got closer, Zacyr suddenly grinned. "So did you notice that I am bleeding from a gaping chest wound, yet I am _still_ alive?"

Edreg chuckled as he honed his claws. "The way I see it, you probably can't live without your head."

Edreg moved in close as he brought back a claw to strike. Zacyr immediately swung up his foot, introducing it as hard as he could to Edreg's groin. As Edreg fell to his knees Zacyr heard Cody and Kesi groan themselves, and soon heard a rather amused voice in his ear. "Not bad, that was a pretty nice hit. To think logically under such stressful conditions-"

Edreg cursed as he looked up. "_Stop complimenting him!_"

The +Anima holding Zacyr chuckled. "I'm not complimenting him, I'm simply stating the facts. If"

Even Zacyr was confused when the +Anima cut off, and everyone was shocked when the preying mantis +Anima relinquished their grip. As Zacyr rubbed his sore and injured arms, he turned to get a good look at that +Anima.

The +Anima had dark skin, though not half as dark as Rudeg's. His eyes were green and his hair was short, black, and well kept. In stark contrast to that, the +Anima wore similar clothes to the rags that Sarysi wore. He was _really_ tall. He must have been kneeling behind Zacyr in order to keep at his height before. The boy was looking at a bush, cautiously walking up to it.

Zacyr immediately sighed in relief when a large scorpion claw came out of the bush, just barely missing the boy's waist. As Sarysi walked out of the bush, she had her eyes on the boy. "Dancing Shadow?"

The boy smiled at Sarysi. He spoke as if he was greeting a good friend. "Toxic Sting, it's been too long."

Despite the almost polite conversation between the two of them, they both began walking in a large circle, like two wolves about to fight for dominance. Sarysi grinned cruelly at the boy. "My _name_ is Sarysi. What is yours?"

The boy smiled as he shrugged. "When they captured me, they decided my name fit my fighting style. I truly _am_ named Dancing Shadow."

Zacyr flinched as Sarysi's grin turned even crueler. "Do you remember what I told you about our fight?"

Zacyr cocked his head as Dancing Shadow nodded. "I still feel the same way, my dear."

Both of them charged, meeting with a furious clash. As the two of them fought Zacyr suddenly realized this was his chance to escape, and he made to leave.

"Edreg, your target's escaping."

Zacyr cursed as he felt a large clawed arm snake past him, soon slamming into his chest and sending him in Sarysi's direction. As he tumbled to a stop he noticed that the fight between Sarysi and Dancing Shadow had abruptly stopped.

Soon a slender dark-skinned hand entered Zacyr's view and Zacyr was surprised when Dancing Shadow, no longer in his +Anima form, helped Zacyr up. Zacyr wasn't really sure what to make of it, but Dancing Shadow smiled at him. "Edreg is the one that holds a grudge against you, sir. I may hold you down, but it's only out of respect for Edreg."

Zacyr was surprised when Edreg spoke up. Well okay, that was the wrong way to say it. Zacyr really _wasn't_ that surprised when Edreg spoke up but . . . he stopped mid-word, specifically with the very first word of his sentence. As Zacyr and the others looked at Edreg, Zacyr almost laughed at the look on Edreg's face.

If this was a cartoon, Zacyr was certain he would be seeing hearts in Edreg's eyes as he gazed somewhere behind Zacyr. And that meant that there could only be one person behind them. Zacyr smiled as he turned around. "Tachine, you-_**?**_"

Zacyr immediately blushed, and he wasn't all that surprised as Edreg, Cody, and Kesi all gawked at Tachine. She had ditched her robes, and was giving very . . . _suggestive_ poses in nothing but her bra and panties. "You boys looking for a good time?"

Zacyr couldn't believe it when Edreg, Cody, and Kesi all ran for Tachine, all arguing with each other.

"She's mine!"

"I saw her first!"

"Hey, I'm the leader here! She's _mine!_"

Zacyr was shocked when a good deal of tentacles dropped down from the forest trees, forming a sort of curtain that was in-between Tachine and the three over-eager boys. It was only when all three boys ran into the tentacles and immediately started screaming in pain that Zacyr realized what was going on. "Kshtsi!"

Zacyr looked up at the trees to find Kshtsi sitting on a large tree-branch, glaring down at the boys that were now on the ground and writhing with pain. "You tried to kill our friend. We don't take too kindly to that."

Zacyr sighed in relief, and when he looked back at Tachine she was getting her robes back on, smiling at Zacyr. As Zacyr began to move for the group he heard the skunk +Anima, Rudeg, chuckle cruelly. "Ah, so he's yours? You shouldn't let you human walk around unsupervised, slut."

Tachine and Zacyr froze, both of them turning around. Rudeg smirked at them, her blue eyes only focused on Tachine. As the chameleon +Anima began to dash over to Dancing Shadow, covered with vicious welts and in clear pain, Tachine spoke. "What did you just call me?"

Rudeg shrugged. "Just stating the facts. When you see boys your first idea is to strip for them. Do you know what that makes you? A _slut_. That's probably why you keep this human with you. He's the outlet for your sick, sexual urges. Why else would you be so determined to save a human?"

Tachine was stuttering in anger as she glared at Rudeg. While at first Rudeg smirked, Sarysi spoke up. "First of all, Zacyr is our _friend_. Second, you best be careful who you are mouthing off too."

Rudeg showed no fear as she looked over at Sarysi. "Ah, so he's _your_ sex slave."

Zacyr couldn't believe it, and he thought _Tachine_ was bad! He cringed as Sarysi glared at Rudeg. "I understand that you appear to hold a prejudice against humans, so I shall let that comment pass. However, do it again and _this-_"

At this time Cody finally got over to them, babbling about how badly the stings hurt. Dancing Shadow shouted for Cody to get back, but Sarysi moved quickly. Soon Cody had a large scorpion claw around his neck. There wasn't even time to flinch as Sarysi effortlessly decapitated the chameleon +Anima, and even _Rudeg_ looked startled as Sarysi finished her sentence. "- will happen to you."

Rudeg backed away as she grabbed out a dagger. "_Cody!_ You _bitch_, how could you just have-?"

"Rudeg!"

Every head turned towards Dancing Shadow, who was looking sternly at Rudeg. "Get Edreg and Kesi out of here."

Zacyr couldn't believe it. "J-just like that?"

Dancing Shadow looked back at Zacyr, soon kneeling to get down to eye-level with him. "We underestimated you sir. None of us had any clue that you were part of a group of +Anima, and look at our situation. Rudeg and I are the only ones unharmed, Edreg and Kesi are currently suffering from the stings of your box jellyfish +Anima friend, and Cody has been killed. If we continued to fight, we may succeed in killing you, but Rudeg would be left outnumbered and I would be too busy fighting Sarysi. Make no mistake, this will not be the last time you see us, but retreat is our only option for now. Still"

Dancing Shadow reached into a large pack on his back, and soon lightly tossed Zacyr a good deal of bandages. "In order for Edreg to get revenge, you shall have to live long enough for our next encounter. I know not how you survived the hit to the chest, but if you continue to lose blood like this it won't be long before you die."

Zacyr wasn't really certain whether he should thank Dancing Shadow, but soon Dancing Shadow shot past Zacyr and Sarysi with incredible speed. In no time at all he picked up Edreg and Kesi, and disappeared from sight.

"Ugh, _boys_."

Zacyr turned just in time to see Rudeg walk out of sight, mumbling to herself. It was only when Zacyr took a step forwards and almost lost his balance that he realized Dancing Shadow was right. If Zacyr lost much more blood, he'd die from blood loss.

Soon he was trying to work with the bandages, but his own lightheadedness was making that extremely difficult. Eventually Sarysi took over, quickly getting Zacyr's arm bandaged. As Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi helped Zacyr pack up his traps before going back to the clearing they spoke. Zacyr explained how he had been trying to set up traps to catch food when he was ambushed by each member of Edreg's group.

Eventually Kshtsi sighed. "So let me get this straight. This Edreg wants you dead because he blames you for his current condition? Even though it was _him_ that tried to scam you, and it was _entirely_ his fault? What is _more,_ even though you said that his father had mentioned Edreg was doing that for _months_, Edreg _only_ blames you? How does this make sense?"

Zacyr shrugged. By this time, they had all collected some berries and rodents for breakfast. Zacyr was eating ravenously. He knew that he needed to eat more than normal. That way his body could begin replenishing all the blood it had recently lost. As he ate, he thought about Kshtsi's question. He only stopped once when he saw the large scar on the palm of his left hand. That was where he had grabbed Kshtsi's tentacle as Kshtsi was falling down the waterfall.

The memory of that reminded Zacyr about how, when Tachine had unknowingly referenced Zacyr's condition, Zacyr had temporarily been . . . well, delusional. That was his answer. "Edreg is furious that he lost his home, and he wants a scapegoat. He chose the last person he had made contact with. It doesn't matter that it's not my fault, what matters is that he _believes_ that it is my fault."

As they all nodded, Zacyr went back to eating before Tachine spoke. "So what should we do? He's not going to let up. He'll blame you for everything that's gone wrong since then."

Zacyr sighed as a mouse flickered into sight, running down Tachine's arm. It wasn't a _believable_ sight because the mouse continued flickering in and out of sight for the few seconds Zacyr could see it, but it also meant that the built-up Lihalune in his system was beginning to run out. Zacyr spoke as he stood up. "First, I want to get more Lihalune. I haven't-"

"_**WHAT?**_"

Zacyr, Tachine, and Kshtsi flinched as Sarysi stood up, alarm in her eyes. "Why-why would you need Lihalune?"

Zacyr cocked his head, what was up with Sarysi? "It works as a cure for the false images I see. I hallucinate, remember?"

Sarysi quickly began pacing, clearly agitated. "So Lihalune does that too? No matter. I'm sorry Zacyr, but I will _not_ allow you to take any more."

It was like a bolt of lightning ran through Zacyr. "What? You can't be serious Sarysi! It's the only medicine I can afford! Of _course_ I'm going to buy more, otherwise-"

Sarysi slammed a scorpion claw against a tree, getting the tree to shake. "You are _not_ taking any more! There is no room for argument! I don't care how much you've had before, eventually it should work its way out of your system. I _will_ be following you when we get to the next town, and if you go into the alchemist's store don't think that I'm afraid to drag you out if you ask for Lihalune!"

Zacyr gnashed his teeth. "Why would you do this to me Sarysi? Lihalune is my only reprieve from my condition! How-"

Zacyr cut off as Sarysi put a claw around his neck. He looked up at her, and was shocked to see the fear in her eyes. "I have seen the Full Moon Effect, Zacyr. And I won't let you take that _torturous _liquid anymore."

Sarysi couldn't have shocked Zacyr more. "You see them too? Then what-"

"No."

Sarysi retracted her claw and walked around. "The day before a full moon, I was forced to take Lihalune. By the time the full moon had passed halfway through the sky, I was crying in fear, begging anyone to stop it. When the moon finally set, it took me a _week_ to recuperate. I was _that_ traumatized. And that was its effect on _me, _a heartless killer who feels no remorse after killing someone. I can't even _begin_ to imagine what it would do to you."

Zacyr gulped. "But that's only its effect during a full moon. If I don't take it the day before a full moon-"

"You won't _ever_ take it again, Zacyr. I will take _no_ chances. You can't have started taking it long ago, what did you do _before_ it to cope with your hallucinations?"

He couldn't believe it. "You're overreacting! I can't see how anything that occurred over the course of one night can make a person _refuse_ to let someone who _needs_ it to-"

Sarysi's look turned stern. "I hope you never _will_ have to see why. I will not let you take any more Lihalune, Zacyr. Case closed. Quid quo pro."

Zacyr gnashed his teeth, but as he thought about it . . . well, he knew that Sarysi wasn't trying to be mean. Maybe he could find some other medicine, if only to get Sarysi to stop speaking about it. "Fine, so what do you think we should do?"

Tachine surprised Zacyr when she spoke. "_First up_, we are giving you a damn bath. _God_, you stink."

Zacyr glared at her as he lightly sniffed the air. It only took one sniff and he realized what she was getting at, he still reeked pretty badly of skunk spray. Sarysi smiled at the change of topic. "Yeah, but then we'll get moving. Following the path, the next village should be about a day's walk from here."

* * *

><p>So Edreg has become a honey badger +Anima. And now he's out for blood . . . will Zacyr be able to stay alive?<p>

Now, I know a lot happened in this chapter. Let me know if I went too fast.

Oh, and here's a cheat-sheet for which character is which +Anima, just in case it's getting confusing.

Tachine: Fox  
>Zacyr: Not a +Anima<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<p>

Edreg: Honey Badger  
>Cody: Chameleon (deceased)<br>Rudeg: Skunk  
>Dancing Shadow: PreyingPraying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p> 


	22. An Avenger

Zacyr has now taken the bath, and is headed towards the next town with his group. But what about Edreg? Where is he, when will he strike again?

Perhaps we should take a look through _his_ eyes?

* * *

><p>"Edreg, wake up."<p>

Edreg groaned as he woke up, his entire body _ached_. As he forced his eyes open he was surprised to find Dancing Shadow leaning over him. He looked to his right to find Kesi getting to his feet, helped by Rudeg. What had happened? Had they lost? "Damn it."

Edreg sat up, reaching to his left to shake Cody awake. He was surprised when his hand met thin air, and he looked to his left. Cody wasn't there. This wasn't like Cody, he was such a little spit-fire and he was _always_ near Edreg. "Where's Cody?"

Dancing Shadow put a hand above his heart. "Cody's not with us anymore."

What? "He chose Zacyr over-"

"No."

Edreg turned to face Rudeg. "Then where is he?"

Rudeg looked the other way. This wasn't like her. Normally she was quite rough with Edreg. "Edreg . . . Cody died."

Edreg froze. No. That couldn't have happened, Cody was _always_ fine! He was the closest thing Edreg had ever _had_ to a friend! "Not Cody. Not him! A-are you sure he . . . _how_?"

Dancing Shadow put a hand on Edreg's shoulder. "Sarysi decapitated him with one claw. He got too close to her."

Edreg felt his blood run cold. He looked over at the forest, hoping Cody's annoying head would pop up and he would go 'surprise, bitches! I bet you thought I died!' like he always did. "A-and you are _certain_ he died? Did it happen right in front of you, or did this 'Sarysi' just say she did it, or-"

Rudeg grabbed Edreg roughly by the shoulders. "_She did it right in front of Dancing Shadow and I!_ She sliced his head off with her claws! He's _dead_ Edreg, _face reality!_"

Edreg couldn't help the tear that came down his face. He shuddered before finally getting a hold of himself. "O-of course, I'm sorry. I . . . I just didn't expect it to happen."

Dancing Shadow shrugged. "He deviated from the plan and tried to ambush Zacyr. For someone who's not a +Anima and found themselves up against five +Anima, Zacyr did marvelously. He remembered the locations of his traps and even got you and Cody caught in them. His only mistake was thinking he was safe when he had the two of you-"

Edreg glared at Dancing Shadow, _not now!_ "It's all that damn _asshole's_ fault! If Zacyr hadn't been at my dad's shop at that time, dad would never have found out! If dad had never found out, I would never have been kicked out! If I had never been kicked out, I would never have gone into the forest, I would never have tried to attack that moose, I would never have become a +Anima, I would never have found Cody, _and Cody wouldn't have died!_ It's _Zacyr's_ fault, and he _will _pay!"

Rudeg sighed as she raised her hands. "Oh dear, Edreg's having a tantrum again. Should we check his diaper to make sure he didn't shit himself?"

In spite of himself, Edreg found himself smiling. He could almost hear Cody in his head, speaking with a shocked voice. '_He wears diapers?_'

Edreg gulped as he got to his feet, trying to shake off his shock. Cody was dead, and there was nothing Edreg could do about that. "What happened after . . . after I was knocked out?"

He almost said 'after Cody died', but his voice had choked. Dancing Shadow sighed as he began to pace, ducking under a large branch. "Rudeg 'spoke' to the girl you three chased. After she made a comment to Sarysi about Zacyr being his sex slave, Sarysi killed Cody as punishment. I decided we were at too much of a disadvantage, grabbed you and Kesi, and retreated."

Edreg sighed, he knew that Dancing Shadow had done the right thing but . . . "It doesn't sit well with me, having lost when we had numerical superiority and more powerful fighters."

Rudeg shrugged as she brushed her tail. "I was of a similar mind-set, actually. Then you proved yourself to be the +Anima of a _horny_ badger, Kesi's felt the urge to stab someone with his quill, and Cody saw girl parts. Your reactions were really embarrassing, I hope you two know. Three people-two that could have taken out just about everyone there _by themselves_ and one that could probably have _lived_ if he had half of a brain cell, and you . . . we're never talking about that again."

Edreg blushed. Rudeg had a point there . . . well, he uh . . . "L-look, we just need to find out where they're headed, and adjust our tactics accordingly."

Rudeg shrugged. "They're taking their slave to the next town. We could easily ambush them."

Edreg liked that idea, but Dancing Shadow spoke up. "Slow down Rudeg. We shouldn't rush headfirst into battle, or we'll have another Cody incident. The first thing we must do is learn how Zacyr was able to survive that stab, and what we _can_ do to ensure a kill."

Kesi nodded, and Edreg frowned. "How are we going to learn that?"

Dancing Shadow shrugged as he turned to leave the forest. "Recon. We simply go to the village, look around for them, and listen in. If we're lucky, his group members may speak about it."

Edreg sighed as Rudeg slammed her fist against a tree. "_No!_ I will _not_ go into one of those oversized _pig pens_ filled with those _disgusting_ humans! I have _standards_, and I will _not_ stoop to their level!"

As Rudeg crossed her arms, her tail twitching in warning, Kesi gently spoke to her. Both Dancing Shadow and Edreg grinned at each other, if there was one thing they could count on it was shy little Kesi calming Rudeg down. What Edreg wanted to know was just how Kesi could do it, but . . . ugh, whatever. "Alright, we'll head that way. Once it's in sight Rudeg, you and Kesi wait outside of it in a predetermined spot. We'll meet outside of it when we learn which way they're going, and what else they're doing."

Soon Edreg, Rudeg, Kesi, and Dancing Shadow were on the move. As always, the group avoided taking the road. Admittedly, that had less to do with being stealthy than it did with Rudeg's refusal to walk on the path where so many humans had before. Edreg had no idea a person could hold such a strong prejudice against humans, but Rudeg never seemed to see a human as anything more than a dog on two legs.

As he normally did, Edreg allowed his +Anima traits to show as he traveled. While he no longer had the money he used to, this ability to change into a monster was a half-decent consolation prize. He no longer _needed_ the money he used to crave (not that he wouldn't do anything to obtain more). He could simply scare other people into submission. He also had to admit, he finally had people who 'cared' about him, but _still_ . . . that didn't mean he could justify the consequences.

_All_ of his saved-up money was no longer obtainable, why had he hidden it inside the _house?_ His damn _father_ probably was using it all. And _Cody_ . . . he wasn't much of a fighter, he may have been a moron that needed constant supervision . . . but he didn't deserve to _die!_ And that damn _moose_! Edreg had seen his life flash before his eyes. Then he saw that honey badger . . . _damn it_! Sure, becoming a +Anima had saved his life, but . . . _damn! _And it was _all_ Zacyr's fault! How _dare_ he do this to Edreg?

"Edreg"

Edreg came back to the moment, and was shocked to see the village already in sight. But even better, _there he was!_ Zacyr and _his_ group were entering the village, maybe if Edreg could corner him in a dark alleyway he could-

"Focus sir."

Edreg shook his head, soon repressing his +Anima traits and getting on the path with Dancing Shadow not far behind him. Dancing Shadow quickly chose the meeting place-a small clearing on the other side of the village, close to where the path branched off in two different directions. As Rudeg and Kesi headed over there Edreg and Dancing Shadow picked up the pace, they _couldn't _lose sight of Zacyr and his group!

Unfortunately, the group was already out of sight by the time Edreg and Dancing Shadow got in town. Soon Edreg swore before they and Dancing Shadow went over to an alleyway. "Well that's just great, they're already out of sight! At this rate they could be all the way across the damn ocean!"

Dancing Shadow smiled at Edreg. "Calm down. We already know where Zacyr's headed, you told me yourself that he _always_ heads for the alchemists to get more Lihalune."

Edreg froze. That was right! Zacyr suffered from that one mental disorder that caused him to hallucinate! Soon Edreg and Dancing Shadow were looking at a large shop, and Edreg felt a tinge of longing. He wanted it back, he wanted his life back! _Why did Zacyr have to come and fuck it all up for him?_

Edreg snapped out of it when Dancing Shadow put a hand on Edreg's shoulder. "I think I can see them inside, we should wait back here and watch what they do."

Edreg nodded, and stupidly looked to his left to begin speaking to Cody. Edreg's mistake didn't go unnoticed by Dancing Shadow, who gently squeezed Edreg's shoulder. Edreg gulped. "They didn't even make his death important. We should have buried him, he deserved better than that."

To Edreg's shock Dancing Shadow chuckled. "I did that myself, I even carved his name into a makeshift headstone."

Edreg was shocked, but also rather touched. "Thanks. It still doesn't make his death important though, he only died so that _bitch_ could prove a point!"

Dancing Shadow smiled sadly at Edreg. "It depends on how you look at it. What if he wasn't there? What if you had been the one to run over to us, to get too close as Rudeg unintentionally mocked our opponents? The way I see it, Cody also set Zacyr up for the perfect stab from you, to the point that I can't figure out how Zacyr survived. Cody died a hero in every sense of the word and yet managed to retain his unique innocence even in his final moments."

Edreg had tears in his eyes by the end of Dancing Shadow's words. "W-wow, you really . . . that's a much better way to picture it."

Dancing Shadow smiled as he rubbed Edreg's shoulder. "Any time, Edreg. It's simply a matter of finding the right angle to view the truth from."

Edreg smiled up at Dancing Shadow, but the two of them immediately focused when they noticed Zacyr out of the shop, tumbling to a stop. "_What the-_"

Both Edreg and Dancing Shadow were surprised, yet rather amused, as Sarysi jumped out of the shop. She went over to Zacyr, and grabbed the back of his shirt as Zacyr started to speak. "_Are you out of your fucking mind Sarysi?_"

Edreg grinned as Sarysi began dragging Zacyr through the streets. It was such a bizarre sight-a thirteen-year-old girl dragging a thirteen-year-old boy through town by the back of his collar-that it wasn't long before the laughter started. Edreg soon joined the laughing as Zacyr openly complained about his predicament. "Okay, okay! You made your point, it was just a _question_ damn it! _God_ this is embarrassing, let go!"

"_That's the fucking POINT! I told you to not even __**mention**__ Lihalune or I would drag you right out of town, and by god I will follow through with my threats!_"

"You didn't say out of _town_, you said out of the _store!_"

"_Well I am an over-achiever, alright? _There is _nothing_ wrong with going the extra mile!"

"OH HELL YES THERE IS! What about the fact that it's my _ass_ that I am going the extra mile _on?_ Don't you think this might be, oh I don't know, _PAINFUL?_"

"I prefer to think of it as a workout. No pain, no gain."

"_A WORKOUT?_ For god's sake Sarysi, _let me go!_"

"Hey-hey-hey, _you_ are the one who got me in your group, because you said"

Edreg was laughing too hard to hear the rest of it, and even _Dancing Shadow_, who _never_ laughed before, was now chuckling. "They bicker like an old married couple."

Edreg chuckled as he shook his head. "Damn, that was satisfying."

Dancing Shadow nodded, but they both focused as the crowds gasped. Zacyr ran into view, breathing heavily and seemingly not noticing as Sarysi approached quickly, her +Anima form showing. "_Oh hell no you don't!_"

Edreg watched as Zacyr turned around in shock, and Sarysi immobilized his arms as her massive stinger struck at Zacyr's chest. Even Dancing Shadow looked shocked. "If she pumps her toxin directly into his heart he's going to die!"

Zacyr surprised Edreg when he managed to break free using his legs, and Sarysi allowed her +Anima parts to vanish. Zacyr was breathing heavily, and as he backed away his movements started becoming jerky as the toxins took effect.

Zacyr went limp as he hit the ground, his eyes open in shock. "Whath . . . whath hathen?"

"Paralyzing venom of course. It makes it so much easier to drag you out of town."

Sarysi grabbed Zacyr by the foot, and Zacyr swore at her . . . or tried to, he didn't seem to be able to get his mouth to work properly. Sarysi simply began to whistle as she walked out of town, dragging Zacyr's paralyzed body with. Still . . . "He didn't die?"

Dancing Shadow nodded, clearly just as surprised. "I don't believe it, he didn't die even though she rendered him completely paralyzed and the entry point for her venom was the _heart?_ This-"

Edreg flinched, what if . . . "She did it confidently, as if she knew it wouldn't kill him. Not only that, when I stabbed him earlier . . . it didn't _feel_ like I had hit his chest. Is he hiding something underneath that shirt?"

Edreg looked up at Dancing Shadow, who looked like he was in shock. "Hmm . . . yeah, that makes sense. He's protecting his chest with something inside of his shirt. If that's the case, a hit to the head should easily kill him. What's more, he's completely paralyzed right now. We'll never get a better chance."

* * *

><p>Zacyr has been paralyzed! Shall Edreg get his revenge?<p>

And what was _that_ all about?


	23. A Time Of Need

Hmm . . . how do I explain Sarysi's attitude towards life . . . ah! Turns out violence really _is_ the answer.

* * *

><p>Kshtsi and Tachine were laughing as they headed out of town. They had seen Sarysi's trick with Zacyr, and both of them were <em>very<em> amused.

Kshtsi grunted as he shifted his weight, he wasn't used to holding this much in his pack. He and Tachine had decided to get Sarysi some new clothes, something better than the rags she wore. While nothing went wrong on Kshtsi and Tachine's side, apparently Zacyr had said something Sarysi didn't like. Sure Sarysi also revealed her +Anima state in town, but something told Kshtsi that Sarysi didn't really care.

Now Zacyr was completely paralyzed, and as Kshtsi and Tachine got close enough to the trees they found Sarysi sitting on a log, greeting them. Zacyr was lying down in front of her, unable to move. Kshtsi simply chuckled, but soon cleared his throat. "It didn't go as planned?"

Sarysi gave a large smile as Zacyr attempted to speak. "Thee sthung me!"

Kshtsi chuckled as he shook his head, but Sarysi cleared her throat. "Apparently only rich people can buy stuff to deal with his condition, although there's one that I think may be close enough in price to work."

Kshtsi saw Tachine raise an eyebrow. "And the reason you didn't try it was-"

Sarysi broke out into a wide grin. "Oh, he tried it. The woman let him try a tiny bit free of charge. A vial-full is supposed to work for a week, but according to Zacyr it has a _very_ unpleasant taste, and he refused to buy it. He then stated that he preferred Lihalune."

Kshtsi chuckled. "And that's when he went flying out onto the street?"

Sarysi nodded, a large smile on her face. "I didn't like the way the conversation was headed."

"_I wath juth thaying!_"

Sarysi chuckled as she looked down at Zacyr. "I know, and I didn't like what you were saying. Sometimes you have to be strict on others."

Kshtsi shook his head before clearing his throat. "_Anyways_, we had luck on our end."

As he spoke Tachine reached into Kshtsi's pack, grabbing out the black t-shirt and the shorts they had bought for her. Sarysi was delighted, and soon changed into them. The only complaint Kshtsi had was that Sarysi _could_ have changed somewhere other than right in front of them, but he wasn't going to say that for fear of joining Zacyr on the ground.

Sarysi chuckled as Zacyr swore harshly. "Oh, quit being a baby. It should already be starting to wear off."

"I guess that means we should hurry."

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi all turned in shock as Edreg, Kesi, Rudeg, and Dancing Shadow all walked into sight. Edreg and Rudeg were in their +Anima forms, and Dancing Shadow's arms soon changed into his praying mantis arms. Hmm . . . now that Kshtsi thought about it, they hadn't _seen_ Kesi's +Anima form. He had fallen for Tachine's . . . trick . . . before he could go into it.

Kshtsi was shocked as Rudeg smiled at Kesi. He hadn't seen her smile towards _anyone_ before, and it was quite obvious she wasn't . . . well, easy to please. She spoke sweetly to Kesi, again shocking Kshtsi pretty badly. "May I have a weapon?"

Kesi smiled as back at Rudeg as he went down on to all fours, and Kshtsi was shocked when Kesi became more like an animal than even _Edreg_ was right now. Soon something resembling a _huge_ porcupine stood where Kesi had been. Kshtsi watched in shock as Rudeg yanked out two _very_ long quills, and as Kesi turned human again Rudeg handed one of the quills to Kesi. Ah, so they used the quills as staffs huh?

Dancing Shadow held up a hand, and his group looked at him. "_What?_"

Dancing Shadow ignored Edreg's exasperated question and addressed the group. "I wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Perhaps we could just take Zacyr and go?"

Kshtsi glared at Dancing Shadow. As Tachine grabbed out her dagger and Sarysi went into her +Anima form Kshtsi gulped. Now that he thought about it . . . all he really had for a weapon was his +Anima form, and that wasn't really . . . it didn't matter, Zacyr was in trouble! "No! You want Zacyr you have to go through us!"

Dancing Shadow sighed. "So be it."

Edreg grinned as he honed his claws, and Sarysi responded by banging her large scorpion claws together. However, everyone was startled when a loud _hiss_ came from behind Kshtsi's group. They turned to see a boy with jet-black hair and yellow eyes standing next to Zacyr, and Kshtsi was startled when both Dancing Shadow and Sarysi spoke at the same time.

"Fang?"

"_Tersil!_"

The boy grinned at Sarysi, and Kshtsi was shocked when the boy became a snake with black scales from the waist down and two large fangs grew from his mouth. "Sssarysssi, I wasss beginning to wonder where you were. I assssume you would like sssome help?"

Sarysi smiled at the boy. "It would be appreciated Tersil. Nice to see you're alright."

Tersil grinned as he slithered over to stand on Sarysi's left, and he waved. "Dancccing Shadow, you know how thisss fight will end, correct?"

Dancing Shadow sighed as his hands turned back to normal. "Indeed, Fang. You have quite the reputation. Edreg, we've already lost this one."

Kshtsi flinched, just like that? Edreg frowned at Dancing Shadow, but then looked at Tersil. "So he also-"

Dancing Shadow nodded. "Yes. Tersil, Sarysi, and I were fighters in the ring. All three of us are on par with each other. I would happily fight Sarysi, but that would leave one of you against Tersil. And to put it simply, he'd murder you."

Edreg cursed. "It doesn't matter, we're so _close!_ I won't back down just because-"

Dancing Shadow gave Edreg a stern look. "Edreg, what happened the _last_ time we were at a disadvantage?"

Kshtsi watched Edreg cringe and look the other way. "Cody . . . you're right, Dancing Shadow. We'll bide our time for now."

Kshtsi was shocked as Edreg's group turned and walked for the forest, but once they were out of sight Sarysi sighed. "That was too close. They must have seen me sting Zacyr before, and knew he was paralyzed. Thanks for the help Tersil."

Tersil grinned as his legs reformed, and his fangs disappeared. "Anytime, Sarysi. Do you mind if I follow you to the next town?"

Sarysi smiled as she looked at the group. Before she could even ask, Kshtsi chuckled. "He likely just saved Zacyr's life, I think that's worthy of a bit of trust."

Sarysi seemed delighted, and Tersil thanked Kshtsi. As they waited for Zacyr to be able to move, Kshtsi thought about what Dancing Shadow had said. A fight ring . . . what had he meant?

* * *

><p>Tersil is not a permanent member, he's just a 'friend' of Sarysi's.<p>

3/28/12

It's a good suggestion. I rewrote that part a little to make it less awkward.


	24. A Nightmare Given Flesh

Sarysi is one of my favorite characters. I always liked the idea of a character that could successfully use violence to solve most of their problems.

But what is her story? What is this 'ring' Dancing Shadow mentioned?

Also, Zacyr hasn't gotten Lihalune for about two days now. How long will it take for his hallucinations to come back?

* * *

><p>Zacyr eyed Sarysi as the five of them walked to the next town. There were quite a few reasons why, he had learned quite a bit about her. First of all, he had to stay just a <em>tiny<em> bit more on the alert around her. She didn't seem to think things through too well. He had also learned that her venom paralyzed the body.

Above all though, he now knew the extent to which she would go to stop him from taking Lihalune. He wanted to be angry at her, he really did. But he couldn't be. She didn't mean him harm. That was obvious, considering that he was still alive. Still . . . she also had almost gotten him killed, and humiliated him in front of the entire village.

Deciding to think about that later, Zacyr instead turned his attention to Tersil. Zacyr kind of enjoyed his company. Not only had he tipped the odds in their favor, he didn't talk down to Zacyr like most other +Anima, excluding his group members.

Tersil was also quite observant. He had admitted his own curiosity over Zacyr having six arms, which had deeply startled everyone in the group. Zacyr hadn't even taken off his shirt or even _mentioned _his extra arms. Tersil must have seen Zacyr's arms outlined by his shirt. What was more, he allowed the subject to drop when Zacyr stated he didn't want to talk about it.

Still Zacyr had to admit he was curious. Sarysi, Dancing Shadow, and Tersil all knew each other. What was more they _all_ were great fighters. Sarysi was powerful, and Zacyr had seen Dancing Shadow and Tersil's speed. What was more, all three of them had a strange look in their eyes . . . they all looked almost . . . haunted. Eventually Zacyr just had to ask. "So Tersil, how do you and Sarysi know each other?"

Tersil turned around, clearly shocked by the question. "We both were fighters in the ring, of course. Didn't Dancing Shadow mention that?"

Zacyr nodded, noticing that Tersil's gaze seemed rather . . . anxious. "Yes, but . . . maybe that wasn't the right question. May I ask what this whole 'ring' is about?"

Tersil visibly flinched as he stepped back. "You honestly don't know? I-"

Sarysi spoke, sounding rather embarrassed. "Tersil, the ring was top-secret. You can't tell me you expect them to know of it."

Tersil eyed Sarysi curiously, and soon the group stopped walking when they reached a lake next to the path. Tersil cleared his throat as he looked at Zacyr. "The ring, better known as the +Anima fight ring, is a sport where two +Anima fight in an arena. People place wagers on who will win, and cheer on their favorite competitor."

Zacyr frowned. "So why is it so secret if it doesn't sound all that bad?"

Tersil looked confused, but Sarysi spoke. "Tersil, you're making it sound like a fun sport. Let me explain Zacyr. The +Anima are in a fight to the death."

Zacyr froze, and he heard both Kshtsi and Tachine gasp. "A-and you _agreed?_"

Sarysi shook her head. "No. None of the +Anima want to be there. That's what makes it so awful. +Anima are captured, tossed into the ring and expected to fight each other to the death."

Zacyr was reeling in shock as Tersil picked up. "It was a nightmare. They treated us like livestock, contained in cells, fed barely _anything_, and forced us to fight at least one battle a day. These fights don't end until only one +Anima in the ring is alive."

Kshtsi spoke up, saying what Zacyr was thinking. "That's awful. How could they do that to people?"

Sarysi sighed. "It gets worse. The +Anima are also given a master that they are expected to obey, no matter what the demand. The master can buy or sell their +Anima for money, and they could even take them from arena to arena-escorted, of course-so they could pit the ring champions against each other."

Zacyr was shocked when Sarysi looked him in the eye. "That's what you three stumbled on. I was being brought to another arena when you got on the escorts' nerves. If you all hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have tried to escape."

Zacyr blurted out a 'why', which got Sarysi to look sternly at Zacyr. "Because of the Full Moon Effect. Don't you get it Zacyr? They used Lihalune as a torture device in order to get me to obey. That was _six years ago_ that I was captured. I was _seven_ when they found me in the desert. After all of this time, it took your intervention with them to finally spur me into action. Do you know why?"

Sarysi leaned in close to Zacyr. "_I was terrified_. Lihalune affects the person's mind, as you know. The Full Moon Effect _tortures_ the person's mind, and it's possible to _die_ from the mental stress it puts you under. Do you want to know why I won't let you drink your precious Lihalune? It's because there's no telling whether you would suffer severe, _permanent_ brain damage or not."

Zacyr gulped. "But what does it _do_? What exactly does it . . . what does it feel like?"

Sarysi leaned in even closer. "That's for me to know and for you to never, _ever_ find out. Are we clear?"

Zacyr gulped yet again as he nodded. Sarysi backed up, a sympathetic expression on her face for a moment. Zacyr almost let out a yelp of shock as three demonic eyes opened up on Sarysi's forehead, all viciously glaring at Zacyr before vanishing.

The event wasn't missed by Sarysi. "They're back?"

Zacyr nodded. "Full force. I can't just use my eyes anymore and expect what I see to be real."

Tachine cleared her throat as she walked forwards "B-but they can't be that bad, right? I highly doubt they could really . . . you know, do anything more than strange shapes floating around . . . right?"

Zacyr grinned as he looked at the bottom of Tachine's robes. "So you're telling me that white mouse that just slipped under your robes is _real_?"

Tachine flinched, shivering. "I . . . _mice_?"

Tachine looked like she was going to say more, but she caught Zacyr off guard when she froze in her tracks, all color draining from her face. She suddenly screamed and backed away, looking at the bottom of her robes. The mouse came back into view, and it let out an undeniable squeak as it looked up at them. Zacyr couldn't believe it, _the mouse was __**real? **_Tachine soon got Zacyr to grin when she went into hysterics. "_**IT'S FUCKING REAL! OH GOD KILL IT! KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!**_"

The mouse had tried to bolt at Tachine's first shriek, but Zacyr moved too fast for the mouse to dodge. Zacyr smiled as he lifted the mouse up by the tail, reaching into his pack with his other hand. He couldn't help it as he spoke gently to the mouse. "Hey there little guy!"

After Zacyr grabbed out a small walnut and effortlessly cracked it with his foot, he put the meat of the walnut to the small rodent's mouth. The rodent soon was nibbling on it and got Zacyr to smile when it grabbed the food with its tiny little paws. Zacyr gently lowered the mouse onto his other hand, and gently began stroking its back.

He smiled as the mouse gave a little squeak, looking at him with its red eyes. Ah, this one was completely albino then? Zacyr soon chuckled as Kshtsi spoke up, sounding rather confused. "Zacyr, you're not . . . you're not scared of mice? But you told me you hallucinate about them _all the time!_"

Zacyr chuckled as he gently stroked the mouse's back. "No, I'm not scared of mice. I actually like mice, there's something about that fuzzy little face that just pulls at the heartstrings."

Zacyr soon grabbed out another walnut then crushed it and gave the mouse the meaty part. "When you hallucinate so many times about one creature, well . . . you just get rather dulled to that fear. I used to have a pet mouse before I entered the forest. I named that one Real. It was the same mouse that Erika used to help me learn to tell real mice from my illusionary ones."

Zacyr smiled as the mouse looked up at him. He chuckled as he lightly cradled it in his hand, gently stroking its stomach. "I think I'll name you Real as well. You want to come with us?"

He chuckled as the mouse grabbed at Zacyr's finger. He was seeing a 'yes'. Tachine immediately spoke up. "No, no! A _thousand_ times no! I just tried to _kill_ him and you think I'm going to let him in the group?"

Zacyr looked up at Tachine, raising an eyebrow as he smiled. Tachine suddenly realized what she said and exactly _who_ she was saying that too. Zacyr burst out laughing as Tachine blushed furiously. He smiled broadly when he finally regained control of himself, looking Tachine in the eye. "So what, I'm just the exception to that logic?"

Tachine spoke quickly, her face a vibrant red. "You were different Zacyr, just . . . look, we'll do this by voting. Who here thinks sir squeaky should never be seen again?"

Tachine raised both of her hands, and after she gave Kshtsi a murderous glare Kshtsi raised his hands too. Zacyr was completely shocked as Sarysi raised her hands, blushing. "S-sorry Zacyr, mice just creep me out."

Tachine seemed relieved as she grinned. "Ok, that's six votes for no. Sorry Tersil, but you aren't really in the group so you can't vote. Since there's no way Zacyr can best that-"

Zacyr grinned broadly. "All here that believe he can stay, raise your hands."

Zacyr chuckled as his hidden arms snaked out from underneath his shirt. Tachine flinched before shaking her head in amusement. "Alright, I'll give you that one. You got four. But that's not good enough Zacyr, you're against _six_ votes. Well that's such a shame that your little friend has to disappear forever and-"

Zacyr held up a finger to silence her before tickling the mouse's stomach. As Real put up his front paws Zacyr immediately stopped tickling it's stomach and raised the hand that had been tickling it. "_There!_ See? He's raising his paws! Combined with the five hands I'm holding up, the votes for him to stay are _seven! _Its seven votes versus six! He stays!"

Kshtsi clapped as he laughed. Sarysi laughed as well, and Tersil chuckled. Tachine shook her head, a growing smile on her face. "That's what I get for counting hands instead of people _raising_ their hands. Oh, fine."

Zacyr smiled as he looked down at the cute little mouse. Real just stayed there, and Zacyr spoke to Real as he got another walnut ready for him. "Do you hear that? You can stay, yes you can!"

* * *

><p>Well, what do you know? Turns out six arms can be an advantage after all.<p> 


	25. Friends

We have seen Edreg's thoughts, how he blames Zacyr for everything. But what about his group members? What is Rudeg like, why is Dancing Shadow named Dancing Shadow?

Perhaps we should see the group from the eyes of the one member who rarely speaks.

* * *

><p>Kesi yawned as he finished up his food. The sun was starting to go down. It was almost time to sleep. He really enjoyed being in nature, and smiled as he eyed the lake they were next to. They had gotten fish from it using Kesi's quills as spears. He really liked feeling like he was needed for something.<p>

"Hey, Kesi."

Kesi looked up as Dancing Shadow gently eased himself down to sit next to Kesi. The two of them smiled at each other as they heard Edreg and Rudeg a little bit away, both of them sparring. For a bit both Kesi and Dancing Shadow were silent, just enjoying the sound of nature. It seemed like forever passed before Dancing Shadow spoke, his gentle voice getting Kesi to smile more. "The two of us don't really get the chance to talk that much, do we?"

Kesi smiled back. "Yeah. It's really weird too, since I could actually have a conversation with you. Rudeg only wants to talk about how she believes we should be enslaving a few humans and forcing them to carry our stuff. I've tried to start a conversation with Edreg, but it always turns to Zacyr . . . and now Cody. I . . . I still can't believe that happened."

Dancing Shadow sighed. "My tribe believed that when people die, their spirit finds itself in their favorite place."

Kesi chuckled as he thought of that. "I don't know about that. Cody's not right next to Edreg's side at the moment, so that can't be true."

Dancing Shadow chuckled as they looked back at Edreg, who was parrying a blow from Rudeg's quill-staff with his claws. "That is true. Cody adored Edreg. He never failed to get me to smile."

Kesi nodded at that, although he noticed the pain still etched on Edreg's face. It really confused him. Edreg had never liked Cody before. "Didn't Edreg always threaten to kill Cody if he didn't act his age?"

Dancing Shadow chuckled at that. "So true. Edreg always got annoyed at Cody, but I've always noticed that he smiled towards Cody whenever he thought no one was looking. I think that he enjoyed Cody's presence, because Cody allowed Edreg to vent out his anger by yelling at him. What was more, Cody never took it personally."

Kesi smiled at that thought. Cody never really did seem to realize when he was irritating anyone else. It was a bit before they spoke again, but Kesi decided to ask something that had been bugging him for a while. "So what's your story, Dancing Shadow?"

Dancing Shadow sighed as he leaned against a large rock. "I've always been raised for fighting. My tribe wanted to beat a different tribe, and I was their answer. They trained me for a long time, and eventually I became a +Anima. They couldn't have been happier. Soon we stood on the battlefield, and . . . that was the first day I took a life. It wasn't just one life either. By the time the last of my enemies fell, I had taken twenty-seven lives."

Kesi gulped as Dancing Shadow looked off into the distance, a sad expression on his face. "Though I had defeated the enemy, I was the only survivor. Then the ring workers found me, I was too exhausted to fight them off . . . and I began killing again in order to stay alive. About . . . four days ago, I was moved to a new arena to fight the arena's champion, Toxic Sting. We were allowed to speak to each other, and both of us confessed our eagerness to fight each other."

Kesi flinched at that. "I . . . I wouldn't see you as the . . . well . . . bloodthirsty type, Dancing Shadow."

Dancing Shadow smiled at Kesi. "I don't mean like that. We were dulled by all the blood on our hands, we were hoping for a challenging fight. Of course though, the four of you rescued me before the fight could take place. Sarysi and I still want to fight each other, to see who is the stronger."

Dancing Shadow sighed as he looked to the sky, his kind eyes glazing over for a moment. "I was born to become a fighter, to defeat the other tribe. That purpose has been fulfilled. I will have no regrets if I die, I am no longer needed."

Kesi couldn't believe how matter-of-factly Dancing Shadow was able to say that. He truly _did_ sound like he would have no regrets, but . . . Kesi looked the other way. It was so hard for him to understand what most other people thought.

"So what about Rudeg?"

Kesi looked back at Dancing Shadow, who warily eyed Rudeg. After they realized she hadn't heard, Dancing Shadow explained quietly. "I have never seen someone with skin as black as hers, nor have I seen someone so zealous. I can understand her being angry at humans, but she takes that to the next level. She _loathes_ them and refuses to believe they can do anything."

Kesi sighed as he looked at the quill in his hand. "Have you heard of albinos?"

Dancing Shadow nodded, and Kesi sighed again. "Rudeg's pitch-black skin is caused by her having the opposite problem as albinos. Instead of her body having a lack of melanin, it has _much_ more than normal, causing her skin to be entirely black. She's used to it now, and doesn't let it bother her."

As Dancing Shadow cocked his head, motioning for Kesi to go on, Kesi sighed. "I . . . I really don't know why she's so anti-human. It's very rare to see her out of her +Anima form, although it's happened once or twice. She just hates her human side."

To Kesi's relief, Dancing Shadow let the subject drop. As Edreg and Rudeg shook hands, indicating that they both were done sparring for now, Dancing Shadow cleared his throat. "Alright, Edreg. We should go to sleep for now."

Edreg nodded, and soon all four of them were lying down to go to sleep. Kesi smiled as Edreg mumbled to himself about how tomorrow, they'd find a way to kill Zacyr. That and Cody were the only things Edreg would talk about now. At the same time he also heard Rudeg praying to her god, promising to put the humans in their place. Kesi was so used to her doing that now that he didn't even lift an eyebrow, and it wasn't long before sleep overtook him.

* * *

><p>Strange. Kesi's a rather pleasant kid to be in a group of killers. I guess there has to be <em>one<em> person in a group that plays the quiet type.


	26. Sweet Dreams

Both groups are sleeping now. But sometimes when people are asleep . . . they have dreams.

But what is a dream? Is it the brain's way of organizing information obtained throughout the day and trying (often failing) to make sense of it? Or is a dream something more, something that shows a person who they truly are on the inside? Or is a dream something else entirely? Is a dream the way a person's subconscious mind tries to warn the conscious one of danger?

Maybe none of these ideas are the answer, or maybe the answer includes parts of each idea. Perhaps a dream is nothing important, which is why some of them are so hard to remember. Dreams are mysterious, and no one knows exactly why people have them.

* * *

><p><em>-Zacyr-<br>_

_I smiled at the woman next to me. As I told her how I had joined a group of +Anima, she told me how happy she was that I was making friends. I had inherited her silver hair, but not her blue eyes. I also told her how I was able to tell reality from illusion, and she smiled at me._

_**Do you know what you are?**_

_Huh? What-who said that? "Did you hear something, mother?"_

_The woman shook her head, but then we both turned as we heard glass shatter. I heard a cry of shock, the sounds of a fight, and then the squeal of a mouse. The squeal was cut off by the sound of someone stomping on the floor, and I heard a young boy speaking frantically._

_Then I heard a different voice. The voice was so . . . evil. "You ruined __**everything**__ for me. Now I'll take everything from __**you!**__"_

_**You are not my enemy.**_

_I gulped as mother and I got up, and we walked for the room. The boy was babbling incoherently in fear, but the voice in my head grew stronger._

_**You are not a threat to me.**_

_I heard a gasp, and a blur shot through the wall. The voice was so strong now, it was hurting my ears. It sounded different, like something was obstructing their ability to speak . . . all I could picture was someone growing fangs._

_**You . . .**_

_I paled when I saw the HUGE spider leg that slowly came through the hole. The voice was now being said with a sadistic glee, and an almost . . . __**feral**__ noise._

_**Are . . . **_

_I wasn't going to wait any longer! I ran for the door out of the house, I had to get away! But no matter how much I ran, it wasn't getting closer! Come on, PLEASE! Don't let this thing get closer! But I suddenly felt something wrap around my foot, and I was terrified to find a thread from a spider now on my foot._

_**MY . . .**_

_I looked behind me, at the ENORMOUS spider . . . and I saw a sadistic glee appear in its evil, all-black eyes._

_**PREY!**_

_At the same time it shouted the word, I found myself flying towards the spider by the leg. Its mouth opened wide, wide enough to swallow . . . no! NO! OH GOD NO! LET GO!_

-Tachine-

Tachine was woken from her sleep by someone shaking her shoulder. She yawned, but half-heartedly listened up when she heard Kshtsi speak. "Something's wrong with Acyr!"

Tachine grinned slightly, not bothering to open her eyes. "I knew it. The mouse gave him rabies. We _warned_ him not to-"

Tachine's eyes flew open wide when she heard the whimper. She immediately sat up, looking around the large clearing they had chosen to sleep in and finding Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tersil standing near Acyr's sleeping form. Acyr was clearly having some sort of nightmare. He was tossing and turning and sweat was rolling down his face.

Tachine got up, and they all watched Acyr for a bit. Eventually Tachine sighed. "He's just having a nightmare. We should wake him up."

Kshtsi flinched. "Wait, isn't it dangerous to wake someone that has a nightmare?"

Tachine shook her head, a grin on her face as she looked at Kshtsi. "That rumor's _still_ being spread? No, it's not dangerous unless your idea of waking them up is slitting their throat."

Kshtsi seemed genuinely surprised, but soon Sarysi sighed. "I'm not _entirely_ certain on that one. But I've got this one."

Sarysi surprised Tachine when she gently knelt by Acyr. She spoke softly to him, in almost a whisper. "_Hey Acyr._"

Sarysi gently rubbed Acyr's leg, but all it did was make Acyr switch position to just lying on his back. Sarysi's eyes suddenly gained a sadistic glee as she brought back her hand. "_**WAKE THE FUCK UP!**_"

Tachine flinched as Sarysi whipped her hand down, focusing all of her strength into a karate chop directly to Acyr's groin. Acyr woke up immediately, tears forming in his eyes as all of his hands immediately went to cover his injured groin and he curled up in the fetal position. When he spoke, his voice was so high-pitched that Tachine could barely hear it. "_Owie!_"

Sarysi smiled as she got to her feet. "There, see? Easy to wake him up."

Tachine was surprised, yet also rather amused, when she saw both Kshtsi and Tersil wincing. "_Ouch._"

It took Acyr a good deal of time before he recovered from the strike. During that time Tachine suddenly found Real climbing up Acyr's arm, soon snuggling up against Acyr's neck. Tachine had to admit, Acyr had a way with mice. Real hadn't appeared more than four hours before they decided to go to sleep, and yet Acyr already had Real liking him enough that it chose Acyr over the wild.

Once Acyr was mainly recovered he gently rubbed Real's back, and then looked up at Sarysi. "Okay, I'm not entirely certain you understand this whole idea of a _friend_. Friends don't use friends for experimenting with new torture techniques! God _damn _it, so much for the next generation!"

Tachine laughed as Sarysi smiled. "You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up."

Acyr sighed as he sat up, careful not to hurt Real as he did so. "I . . . I don't know what to make of it. Some parts of it, I _know_ were a dream . . . but I'm not so sure on the rest of it."

Eventually Acyr got to his feet, slightly blushing. "I'm sorry, did I wake everyone up?"

Tachine saw Sarysi smile a bit. "No, actually Tersil and I were speaking to each other and noticed you tossing and turning."

Acyr looked up at the half-moon in the sky before he sighed. "It's almost morning anyways."

Tachine was shocked. "There's still about an hour before the sun rises! I'm not going to get a move-on _that_ quickly!"

Acyr gave Tachine a smile. "You misunderstood me. See, I weave rope. We lost half of our gold in Octopus, and I think it's about time that I pulled my own weight in that regards. I'll make some rope and sell it in the next town."

Tachine found herself blushing as she looked the other way. "Well, I guess that was more my fault. You don't have to-"

Acyr got Tachine by surprise when he chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it. What's past is passed. But still, I used to help my mother by weaving rope. It was _made_ to be sold, so why shouldn't I start a little business on the side?"

With that Acyr went into the forest, a small smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Well, that's . . . ONE way to wake up a sleeping person.<p> 


	27. Yako Appears

I'm a bit worried that I may be pushing this idea along a bit too fast. I mean, this chapter is _supposed_ to be rather confusing, but I'm worried I overdid it. Feedback would be appreciated.

* * *

><p>When morning came Kshtsi saw Zacyr walk into view, looking rather miffed. Kshtsi immediately frowned, and Tachine became vocal about it. "What's wrong, Zacyr?"<p>

Zacyr looked back at the forest as he spoke. "It's all been picked dry! The plants that I use to make my rope have all been picked dry! But I'm the _only_ one that uses them, who else would . . . god _damn_ it!"

Kshtsi could only shrug. "Maybe you're not the only one that uses them after all. It's nothing to be upset about."

Apparently Zacyr didn't agree. He stomped his foot on the ground. "That's not what I'm pissed about! When I grab the plant, I carefully cut off only what I need. That way the plant can re-grow, and in three days or so it will be ready for plucking again. What I'm pissed about is that whoever used them took _all_ of the plant! They uprooted the plant! Even _if_ the plants were seeded again, it would be _months_ before they would produce the special fibers needed to make my rope!"

Kshtsi was startled at that, but Sarysi chuckled. "It doesn't matter. I doubt we're going to be coming back here in the near future. Now let's get a move-on."

Kshtsi couldn't help but grin as Zacyr mumbled under his breath. Soon the five of them were on the road, and before even twenty minutes passed they saw the next village. As the group got closer to the village all of them looked at each other in shock.

Each and every person in this village was wearing a pair of white robes. The robes were rather plain, reaching all the way to the ground and having a simple leather belt around the middle to keep it in check. Still . . . Kshtsi was amused when Zacyr cursed. "_They use the fibers in their __**clothing**__? _Those damn _bastards_, what's wrong with normal clothing?"

The group all grinned at Zacyr's annoyance, Tachine even chuckling. "Oh, it's alright. We're going through anyways. Behave yourself while we are in there, okay?"

Zacyr's lips twitched, momentarily forming a grin before going to a scowl. "I don't like this. Maybe we should have taken a different path."

Kshtsi chuckled as he shook his head. Zacyr was getting worried over nothing. Soon the group entered the village, and almost immediately Kshtsi began to have second thoughts. Every person was looking at them. While the locals weren't _glaring_ at them, Kshtsi noticed that they were being watched intensely. Tachine didn't seem to notice, or else she just wasn't showing that she was.

Sarysi and Tersil were eyeing every person, clearly as nervous as Zacyr was. "We're getting a _lot_ of stares."

Tachine simply grinned back at them. "Oh, calm _down_. We'll be alright."

Kshtsi was shocked when Zacyr let out a slight grunt. "Why are they all wearing those robes?"

Tachine rolled her eyes before walking up to one of the villagers. "Excuse me?"

The villager smiled politely at Tachine. "Yes?"

Kshtsi sighed in relief as most of the stares they were getting suddenly stopped. Maybe everyone was just curious? Tachine smiled as she spoke to the villager. "My friend here is curious about why everyone is wearing white robes, and I must admit I'm a little confused myself."

Kshtsi felt much more relieved when the villager didn't seem offended. "It is a part of our religion. We are expecting Yako to appear any day now, as was foretold in the prophecy."

Tachine smiled as she looked back at Zacyr. "See? It's nothing sinister, now _get a grip!_"

The villager cleared his throat. "It is customary for us to offer sake to adults as well."

Kshtsi was startled when Tachine's eyes sparkled. "Really? In that case, I am an adult."

Kshtsi turned to face Zacyr when Zacyr chuckled. Zacyr looked around as the man gave Tachine a bottle of sake. "I should have known Tachine was a drinker. You know, you're the same age as her. I doubt that they'd say no if you asked as well."

Kshtsi shook his head. "Sake doesn't sit well with me."

Zacyr chuckled a bit more as they watched Tachine drink the entire bottle of sake. Once she did, she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robes. She then smiled at the villager, thanking him for the sake. The villager smiled as he stated he should be the one thanking Tachine.

Kshtsi found that odd, but soon he, Zacyr, Sarysi, and Tersil watched with partial amusement, partial annoyance as Tachine went from villager to villager, drinking more and more sake. It wasn't long before she had to have drunk at least seven bottles of sake, and Kshtsi spoke to Zacyr. "I can't believe she's drinking this much."

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi. "I can't believe they are letting her get away with it. She's doing it right in front of them, and they just keep handing her more and more. I can't blame her for taking advantage of this. It's the greatest scam ever."

Kshtsi frowned as he thought about that. Zacyr was right about the villagers letting Tachine get away with it, they almost seemed_ eager_ to give her more. "Zacyr, something isn't right here."

Zacyr smiled at Kshtsi, but they both were interrupted as Tachine staggered her way over. "This 's th' besh thing evar! I 'aven't been zis drunk since th' night 'at one bastard done got me locked up!"

Kshtsi was shocked as Zacyr's eyes narrowed. "Oh, _shit!_"

Zacyr surprised the whole group when he grabbed Tachine by the shoulders. "Tachine, I need you to focus! How did that one bastard get you locked up? What happened after you got drunk?"

Zacyr didn't have to say more. Kshtsi's eyes widened as Tachine's face began to change into a more fox-like shape. _She was going into her +Anima form!_ Tachine giggled drunkenly as a large bushy tail sprouted from the back of her robes, completely unaware of the dead silence from the villagers. "W'll, I couldn' stoph from changin' when I wa' drunk, Ashyr."

The group turned as one of the villagers spoke, sounding rather amused at Zacyr's actions. "I apologize, perhaps I should recite our story of Yako. 'As Ono held the wounded Yako in his arms, he spoke to her, asking how a kami could die. Yako simply smiled at Ono, and stated that though she may die, she would come back. 'It may be a thousand years, and I may not even know it is I, but I shall return.'

"'Ono asked how he would know it was her if she did not know herself. Yako laughed as she let her fox tail appear, and soon held up a bottle of sake. 'By doing the same thing that revealed me the first time, of course. You know my weakness. I cannot resist the allure of sake. Though my form may be different, my tail shall remain the same.' And thus Yako-'"

Kshtsi was shocked when Zacyr cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the man. "So let's see if I'm getting this. You are saying that this goddess of yours died, and now some one thousand years later you decided Tachine was the reincarnation of Yako?"

The villager shook his head. "Far from it."

While Zacyr let out a sigh of relief the villager chuckled. "Tachine has now _revealed_ herself to be the reincarnation of Yako. Or are you trying to tell us that most girls sprout a fox tail after getting inebriated?"

Zacyr slapped a hand against his face. "But she's . . . no, you know what? You have a point there."

Kshtsi frowned. "But Tachine's a-"

Zacyr got Kshtsi by surprise when he put a hand to Kshtsi's mouth. "Nope, we aren't arguing this one. Perhaps we could learn a bit more about Yako? I mean, the memories may not be coming back to her, especially . . ."

Zacyr looked back at Tachine, who Kshtsi saw was off in her own drunken world. "Whew! I gotsh no idea what'sh goin' on, but I _like_ itsh!"

Kshtsi focused as Zacyr spoke again. "Yeah . . . so what's the next step?"

The villager smiled at Zacyr. "Now, we show her to her temple."

Tachine cheered, getting Kshtsi to chuckle. "WOOHOO! I'sh gotsh a temphul!"

Sarysi soon cleared her throat. "And what about us?"

The villager smiled broadly at Sarysi. "All of you are welcomed with open arms. We have a feast planned for the great Yako, and all of you are invited."

Kshtsi couldn't help but smile, a _feast?_ Well, they could stay a bit longer. The other villagers moved to lead the group to the temple. The villager they had been speaking to-clearly the leader-cleared his throat. "Zacyr, was it? Perhaps I could speak to you alone?"

Zacyr looked at the villager warily, but soon nodded. As the two of them stayed behind, Kshtsi and the rest of the group was soon led to the temple. Tachine was still drunk, and both Sarysi and Tersil were talking to each other, so Kshtsi wasn't really able to converse with anyone on the way.

When they saw the temple, even Tachine was shocked. This temple was _huge!_ When the villagers led them in, they were all delighted to see the huge amount of food on a table with four chairs. Soon Kshtsi, Sarysi, Tersil, and Tachine were all sitting down and eating. One of the villagers smiled as she bowed her head. "If you desire anything more, all you must do is ask."

With that the villagers left the temple. Tachine was gobbling down food as fast as she could in her drunken state, though she often had trouble hitting her mouth. Kshtsi and Tersil were talking about the hospitality of the villagers when Sarysi spoke up. "Zacyr was right. Something's wrong here."

Kshtsi and Tersil looked at Sarysi, noticing she had a worried look on her face. Tersil looked at the food, but soon smiled. "No, it's not poisoned. I-"

Sarysi shook her head. "They knew exactly how to get Tachine to reveal her +Anima form. They knew we were coming today, and they've set it all up beforehand."

Kshtsi froze. "So you think this is a trap?"

Sarysi again shook her head. "No, this isn't a trap. It would be _far_ too elaborate and time-consuming to do this just to turn against us. But . . . they've gotten every fact predicted correctly. They knew that there were five of us. They even had time to correct any mistakes. But . . . well, look around."

Kshtsi did, and after a bit he shrugged. "Nothing's out of place as far as I can see. It's actually kind of creepy. This prophecy of theirs got everything correct. They planned it all, right down to the number of ch-"

Kshtsi froze as the reality hit him. He looked at Tersil, who dropped his fork. "Zacyr's not here, but all the chairs are filled."

Both Kshtsi and Tersil looked at Sarysi, who nodded. "How is that possible? Simple, they never put a place for Zacyr."

* * *

><p>Okay, so as stated above, I'm pretty certain I pushed it a bit fast. Let's see if I can straighten it out a bit.<p>

The village believes that Tachine is the reincarnation of their chosen deity, Yako. A book that serves as the 'bible' of their religion informed them of the exact date that Yako was supposed to appear. So far, this prophecy has proven creepily accurate: Tachine appeared, and when she was gotten drunk she 'revealed' her fox-like form. While not outright stated by the villagers, the prophecy even correctly predicted the number of travelers that would be with her, allowing the villagers to plan for it.

But, as Sarysi pointed out, they didn't set a place for Zacyr.

By the way, I now have a short story also being created: the Cody Chronicles, which features the adventures of Edreg and will go more into depth about the pasts of his group members. I'll probably work on the Cody Chronicles when I need a break from Zacyr's plot to clear my mind. Also, I originally was going to post the Cody Chronicles in We Four Freaks' storyline. Death101 gave me the idea of making it into a separate story, and as such I deleted the chapter from We Four Freaks. That's why her review comments on it.

Next chapter shouldn't take long


	28. Nowhere To Hide

So what happened to Zacyr? What exactly has happened to get him into this position?

* * *

><p>Zacyr watched as the group left, he didn't like this at all. Still, he tried to push that out of his mind. Even if he was right . . . well . . . Zacyr soon shook his head before looking back at the leader of the village. "Sorry, this is a lot to take in at one time."<p>

The man smiled, but Zacyr noticed that there was something strange about that smile. It almost got Zacyr to take out his daggers, but he refrained. He'd never been this high-strung before. What was _wrong_ with him?

"I understand." Zacyr turned to face the man, who smiled again. "It must be difficult to accept that the one with you for so long is truly a sacred deity."

Zacyr nodded before he decided to be blunt. "So what did you want to speak about?"

The man sighed as he reached into his robes, soon grabbing out a large, old book. "This here holds all our information on Yako. Yako is a kitsune, a fox that is able to take human form. She saved our village a long time ago, giving up her 'life' a bit later to save us from certain doom."

As the man spoke, he entered a house. After a moment of hesitation, Zacyr decided that it would be safe to enter the house as well. The man smiled, and yet again that strange feeling that something wasn't right appeared. "You are highly intelligent, Zacyr. But there are many things you are not aware of."

Zacyr frowned. Was it just his imagination, or did that sound rather threatening? "I beg your pardon?"

The man chuckled, and Zacyr looked behind him as the door suddenly slammed shut. He didn't have long to think about it before the man spoke, his voice no longer caring, but determined. "You interrupted my earlier speech, as I knew you would. Now let me see if I can . . . fill in the blanks, Zacyr."

The man looked out the window, and Zacyr was surprised when he saw a large temple off in the distance. So was that where Tachine and the others were? "What is going on here, _sir?_ What have you done with my friends?"

The man chuckled again. "Your friends are safe. But let me explain. I told you that Yako gave her life to save the village. I told you how she was to be reborn, and reappear after a thousand years. What I did not tell you was of the demon."

It took all of Zacyr's willpower to keep from looking afraid. He did _not_ like where this was headed. "The demon?"

The man nodded. "Yes. Yako entered the village with a man by her side. He was a friend of hers from a while back. But he hated the village, and soon decided to destroy it. In the first night, he transformed into a demon and went on a rampage. Yako did not want to fight him, but the demon was too strong for the villagers to defeat. Eventually Yako had to fight her friend, but even then she couldn't find it in her heart to wound him.

"It was only when the demon mortally wounded Yako that she could bring herself to fight with all of her powerful magic. She forced the demon to take its human shape, and commanded someone to decapitate him. That someone instead aimed for the heart, and the demon survived. It was only when Yako herself shot him with an arrow between the eyes that the demon fell."

Zacyr had to stop himself from shaking. Hadn't _he_ survived a stab to the heart? Sure it was because they never hit his chest, but . . . this demon was starting to sound eerily like Zacyr. The man continued to speak, eyeing Zacyr carefully. "She hit the demon just as he began to transform. Legend has it that the corpse of the demon showed signs of his transformation, although only a small bit. He had grown two extra pairs of arms."

Zacyr couldn't stop himself from turning white. That meant the demon had _six arms_. This was getting bad. The man gave a slight grin, and it only convinced Zacyr of the danger he was in. "Just before Yako died, she left a warning to Ono. The demon would reappear at her side, no memory of the incident. Her magic had targeted his soul, he would still be stuck in his six-arm formed no matter what he tried. She also struck his mind so he would see powerful illusions wherever he looked."

Zacyr no longer had any doubt why he was here. The man had even mentioned Zacyr's hallucinations. Zacyr tried to keep his voice calm, but he failed miserably. "So what . . . what did she tell Ono to do about this demon?"

The man grinned even wider as he grabbed out a large club. "Yako warned that the demon was clever. He would be uncomfortable in the city, and would try to hide Yako's transformation. She also warned that if he was not stopped, he would convince Yako to leave the village behind. For her to leave this way would end with all of the villagers dying before four months passed."

Zacyr grabbed out his daggers as he slowly backed towards the door. "Hey-whoa! Let's talk about this, are you _sure_ this is the best course of action? You don't even know if I _h-_"

Zacyr froze as he heard the door behind him open, and soon a rough hand yanked Zacyr's bag off of his back. It wasn't long before his shirt was sliced in half, and Zacyr let the now-useless shirt fall off to reveal his extra arms. This was _bad_! He turned around to see a large crowd of the villagers, all with the same cruel smirk on their faces.

Zacyr could only gulp in fear. He had to calm down, but his heart refused. He was outnumbered, only had two daggers, and had every right to believe he was going to die. Reasoning with them was _clearly _out of the question, there was no way they would listen.

Zacyr cringed as he heard the man whisper into his ear. "You are wrong, demon. If we killed you, you'd simply reappear. What is more, this Tachine seems to care about your well-being. To kill you would be a mistake. But we must stop you from convincing your friend to leave."

Zacyr snapped back his reply. "_So we're **all** prisoners?_"

The man simply chuckled. "Tachine and your friends can leave of their own free will. The only one we must have disappear is _you_."

Zacyr turned around, but it was too late. All he got to see was the club rushing towards the side of his head. A moment later everything went black.

* * *

><p>Uh-oh. That's not good.<p> 


	29. Detective Sarysi

I was re-reading my story, and I suddenly realized something so earth-shaking that I have to explain here.

**_I never told a chapter from SARYSI's point of__ view!_**

It was never intended to be like that. So now it's finally time to hand the spotlight to Sarysi, and to see things through her eyes.

* * *

><p>Sarysi soon left the temple of Yako, her thoughts racing. Zacyr . . . what had they done to him? She made a bee-line for where the man had earlier pulled Zacyr aside. When she arrived there she was shocked and alarmed when she didn't see Zacyr or the leader of the village. Looking around, Sarysi soon located a villager and marched right up to them. "Where's Zacyr?"<p>

The villager simply shrugged. "I do not know."

Sarysi glared viciously at the villager, contemplating whether it was worth it to decapitate him. On one hand, he was quite clearly lying. On the other hand, she still wanted to find Zacyr as fast as possible. Eventually she decided that it wasn't worth it, and instead went into thought.

This village was full of zealous morons. Why would they separate Zacyr? Was it because Zacyr didn't like them? No, that couldn't be it. Those chairs were set up beforehand. They were planning on separating Zacyr even before they met him. Hmm . . . well, if this prophecy was correct than it made sense that it was written down somewhere. Yeah, and if Sarysi could get a hold of the book and read it, she could not only learn what had happened but also learn where he-

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

Sarysi turned around and flinched as she saw the village leader there. He looked mildly surprised to see Sarysi standing there, but what got Sarysi's attention was the book-shaped bulge within his robes. "Do you have a book of sorts that would explain Yako?"

The man visibly flinched. "I beg your pardon?"

Sarysi gave a smirk. "I would like to be able to look at the book."

As the man cringed slightly, Sarysi had her answer. Still, she contained herself as the man spoke. "I apologize, but the ilar is a sacred book to us. Even though you are a friend of Tachine's, I cannot allow an outsider to-"

Sarysi grinned as she reached for the man's neck. Once her hand was close, she quickly went into +Anima form. The man paled as he found Sarysi's scorpion-claw around his neck. Sarysi merely chuckled. "I'm concerned about your safety, so I will give you a suggestion. Hand over the book _now._"

She felt the leader gulp as she brought her claw even closer. It just took her slightly tightening the claw before the leader sighed. "Very well. Although it is against tradition, I shall make an exception this time."

Sarysi waited until the man held out the book, then allowed her hand to reform into a human one as she grabbed the book. She then smirked at the man. "Next time, I won't give you a warning."

Without another word Sarysi walked up to a nearby house. "Let me in."

Sarysi waited, and when she heard the door lock she chuckled. "So _that_'s how you want to do it."

Sarysi held the book close to her as she changed to her +Anima form. She quickly swung her claw at the door, which flew off of its hinges. She heard a few cries of shock, and casually observed four people-a man, a woman, and two young girls-staring at her with wide eyes before she walked over to a table, letting her +Anima form disappear.

Sarysi soon opened up the book, flipping through to somewhere near the middle. Satisfied, she went to read, but stopped when she sensed someone behind her. "I'm going to turn around. If I find anyone with a weapon or in an intimidating position, I can guarantee you that I will be . . . _displeased_."

Sarysi then allowed her +Anima form to show, and she grinned as she heard wood clattering against the floor. She turned as the father in the family retreated a respectable distance, leaving a simple broom on the ground. Sarysi laughed as she grabbed the broom, snapping it in two with her powerful claws before returning her attention to the ilar. Okay, let's see here . . .

_Yako's visit to our village, the most sacred village in her eyes, was a great amount of time ago. She came to us in the guise of a young girl, bent on causing mischief and confusion. Our ancestors were angered at her actions, but one boy-Ono-found Yako's actions to be rather strange for a human. He remembered a teaching of old, of how Yako was the goddess of mischief and cunning, and of how she could disguise herself as a human._

_Ono soon approached the disguised Yako, and as he knew he was supposed to do, he offered her a bottle of Sake. Yako beamed at Ono, elated that someone remembered her earlier words. She soon revealed her true form to our ancestors, who immediately bowed at her feet._

_But not all was at ease. Yako had not entered the village alone. A boy named Noroi had also appeared as her guardian, but from the start our ancestors knew there was something different about Noroi. He never smiled unless he saw someone in pain. He loathed the village with all of his being. At first it showed as nothing more than him muttering in Yako's ear, asking when they would leave the village behind._

_The cruel irony with Yako was that she trusted Noroi too much to see him as evil. I know not how Noroi had gained her trust, but Yako did not see the dark intentions in Noroi's eyes. She always chided him, stating that there was no reason to leave. Noroi hated her for it, and on the very first night our ancestors woke up to find Noroi transforming into his god form, that of a demonic spider._

_Yako pleaded with Noroi to stop, stating that the villagers had done no wrong. Noroi refused, and in front of our ancestors stated that he had lost all faith in Yako's leadership. Declaring himself to be in the right Noroi attacked the villagers, ignoring Yako's pleas. While they wished not to anger Yako, our ancestors were forced to fight back. However, Noroi's dark magic made him invincible. He laughed at the dagger, for it would not pierce his heart._

_Eventually Ono went over to Yako, pleading for her aid. Yako tried to keep from hurting her best friend, but Ono spoke in desperation. "Whoever Noroi was to you before, he comes at us now with the magic of demons! I understand that he was your friend Yako-sama, but he is trying to destroy my village! Please Yako-sama, we need your help!"_

_Yako eyed the monster Noroi had become, and soon began chanting in a sacred language. As she readied her bow, Noroi realized what Yako was doing and charged at her. It was Ono who saved her. Yako's incantation took time, and as she chanted Ono faced off against the invincible demon. Noroi laughed as he tossed Ono around, but just as he was going for the killing blow Yako's incantation was complete, and Noroi turned back into a boy._

_Noroi was far from finished. He removed his shirt, and everyone-even Yako-gasped at the revelation that Noroi had six arms, the sure sign of a demon._

Sarysi felt her heart stop. _Six arms_ . . . she didn't need to read any more. Soon Sarysi slid the book away, finding sweat forming on her forehead. The entire _village_ saw Zacyr to be the reincarnation of Noroi. Sarysi was pretty certain that Zacyr was dead.

"Excuse me?"

Sarysi was surprised when she looked down at her side. One of the young girls was standing there, ignoring her family's frantic pleas to stay away from Sarysi. The girl smiled at Sarysi with a sparkle in her eyes. "I learned this really cool game today, my older sister taught me it!"

Sarysi could only smile as she got down to eye level with the girl. "Yeah? What's it called?"

The girl smiled as she spoke excitedly. "Fox, Spider, Lion!"

Sarysi flinched, she hadn't ever heard of that one. "Really? What are the rules of it?"

The girl excitedly went into her explanation. "Well, two people count to three and make one of three different hand-signs."

The girl then curled up her pointer and pinky fingers while sticking her middle and index fingers straight out, then put her thumb underneath what vaguely resembled a fox' head. "This is fox."

She then spread out her fingers and slightly curled them up. "This is spider"

Next up she made a fist, slightly pulling her thumb out and pointing it towards Sarysi. "This is lion. The other fingers are the mane of the lion."

Sarysi smiled, so it was like rock, paper, scissors? "Ok, and how do you win?"

The girl was only too happy to explain. "Fox beats spider because Yako beat Noroi. Spider beats lion because the spider's too small for the lion to see. Lion beats fox because the lion is stronger than the fox."

Sarysi smiled before she suddenly froze. "Wait. Yako didn't beat Noroi. She needed the help of villagers to beat him, and even _then_ it was a draw."

The girl blushed as she twiddled her fingers. "Well, that's what my sister said."

Sarysi frowned, but eventually shrugged. Maybe some of the facts got mixed up somewhere. "So the fox is Yako, the spider is Noroi. Where does the lion come from?"

The girl looked at the book, then back at Sarysi. "It's not in there? I thought you'd know because you were reading the ilar."

Sarysi frowned, that was strange. Eventually she shrugged, it was just a little children's game. Sarysi soon sighed as she got up. She left the house, taking the ilar with her. Ignoring the sighs of relief that came from the girl's parents at Sarysi's departure, Sarysi thought about what she now knew. Tachine was the spitting image of Yako: mischievous, naïve . . . she was even a fox +Anima, which made her look like Yako's 'true' form apparently. In return, Zacyr looked like Noroi, right down to having a total of six arms. Zacyr was in trouble, if only because of a bizarre coincidence.

"Sarysi!"

Sarysi soon turned around, surprised when she saw Tersil and Kshtsi running over to her. When they got near, Kshtsi spoke quickly between large gulps of air. "We . . . we think we found where he is! But . . . well, you have to see it."

Kshtsi and Tersil soon dashed out of the village, Sarysi following close behind them. On the way, her thoughts were racing. She needed to see what had happened, but she was almost afraid at the idea that she would soon be looking at Zacyr's corpse. When Tersil stated that they were close, Sarysi tried her hardest to brace.

As they turned the corner, Sarysi was shocked to find herself looking at a strong river. The river ended at a large plateau-like feature, flowing into a small lake near the bottom of the plateau. As Sarysi, Tersil, and Kshtsi raced over there Tersil spoke. "There's a hole that acts as a drain for the lake, leading right into a large cave. Zacyr must have been tossed into the river and then swept into the hole by the current."

Sarysi eyed Tersil warily. "So how do you know Zacyr was here?"

Tersil sighed as Kshtsi reached into his pack. Sarysi paled as Kshtsi pulled out a large, wet length of white rope. "I found this in the lake, caught on a large rock."

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><p>SO, some of you are probably confused by this chapter's sudden disappearance then reappearance. Well, I wasn't happy with how it went the first time. So I remade part of it.<p>

Sorry, I'm having some difficulty figuring out how I want this part to play out. The overall plot of it has been figured out, but not the specifics. In short, a chapter a day may just be too fast for me to do when I'm trying to work on the plot of the part I'm writing at the exact same time. Still, I'm making some headway now.


	30. Dancing With Death

Whew, I've finally got past the hard part. I should be able to get back to my daily update schedule soon.

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><p>When Zacyr finally broke the surface of the water, he gulped in some air. That was too close, those damn villagers . . .<p>

Zacyr looked around, surprised to find himself in a dimly lit cave. He swam to some dry ground, only stopping when he found his pack floating in the water. He grinned as he grabbed the pack, he had forgotten that his rope would float in water.

Once he hit land, Zacyr was very relieved when he got lightly sprayed on the left side of his face. "Real! You're okay!"

He smiled as he saw Real trying to dry out, looking rather pissed at Zacyr. Zacyr couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "Sorry, next time I'm deemed the reincarnation of a demon I'll be _sure_ to look out for your safety first. Good enough?"

Of course, Real didn't answer. Zacyr chuckled before he focused on the current situation. "Okay, so where are we?"

Dimly lit by the same hole that the water flowed in from was a good-sized cave. The light coming in wasn't enough to illuminate the entire cave, but from what Zacyr could see there were multiple paths that he could take. But to take one would leave him in complete darkness, and there was no telling where they would take him.

Zacyr sighed as eight demonic eyes appeared in one of the entrances. He quickly closed his eyes, shivering at the thought of what he may have been hallucinating. Eight eyes was something that reminded him of a spider. Using his other senses, Zacyr gasped as he got a picture of the area in his head. There were at least ten paths. Zacyr cautiously tossed a rock down one of the areas, cringing when he heard the rock go a long way before coming to a stop.

Eventually Zacyr sighed. He wasn't going to find his way out by just standing here. After cautiously tying a good amount of string to a stalagmite Zacyr walked towards the nearest path, threading out the string behind him. He chuckled to himself as he spoke to Real. "Don't worry, we'll find our way out."

He knew what he was doing. String was indispensable to him. This would serve as a way to backtrack, as well as a warning if he was walking in circles. Zacyr smiled as he began walking through the path, not bothering to open his eyes.

It wasn't until five minutes or so into the walk that Zacyr suddenly realized something hysterical. He couldn't stop himself from laughing, it was just too funny. "If I could trust my eyes like most people can, then I'd never be able to do this! Because I don't trust my eyes, I don't _need_ to use them. This cave would automatically lead to my death, and"

Zacyr froze as his mental image of the area around him changed. He frowned, was this path a dead-end? The walls kept on going, but the area beneath him didn't. There was a drop-off in front of him. Still . . . it could be safe, but he needed to find a way to know. Soon Zacyr grabbed a small rock and tossed it into the drop-off. Five seconds later Zacyr gulped, he hadn't heard the rock hit the bottom yet.

No longer willing to go that way, Zacyr turned to backtrack. He stopped cold when he felt something underneath his foot, something rounded off, smooth . . . and aged. He quickly got down, and he shivered as he felt the area. He had just stepped on a tibia. Here was the ribcage . . . here was the skull . . . a skeleton!

Zacyr yelped as he heard a clatter. Something else was in here with . . . no, wait. Was that the rock he had thrown into the drop-off? _Holy shit_. Zacyr had stopped keeping track of how long it took to fall, but that had been a _long_ time. If he fell into that chasm, he was as good as dead.

Zacyr soon got up, shivering at the thought that another person had been down here once. From what Zacyr could tell, the person's leg had been crushed by a falling stalactite, pinning him in place. Against his better judgment, Zacyr felt the skeleton's upper body. One of the hands had all the fingers curled up besides for the pointer finger, as if it had been . . . pointing at something? It was pointing over by the drop-off, and it got Zacyr to shiver.

He decided to follow the skeleton's pointing, but he was very careful about it. He didn't want to keep this skeleton company down here for the rest of eternity. He felt around, and was surprised to find a thin land-bridge that led farther into the cave. Hmm . . . Zacyr soon was carefully following the narrow path, still threading out the string behind him.

It took a while, but he was soon surprised when the path shifted. Following it carefully, Zacyr soon found himself back by land. He pulled the string taut, and located the start of the path to be far off to his right. Hmm . . . so the land-bridge made a large half-circle?

Zacyr was surprised when Real quickly got down from his shoulder, and dashed in a specific direction. "Real, come back!"

Real soon stopped a bit away, and Zacyr followed Real's path to find sitting on top of a strange rectangular rock. As Zacyr felt the rock he was surprised to find it wasn't a rock, but a book. As he picked it up Real quickly climbed back up his arm, soon stopping on his shoulder. The book felt old, like it had been here for a _long_ time. Zacyr could only grin as he put it in his pack. If the man's dying wish was to point to the path that led to this book, it was probably important.

Zacyr soon felt around, and was elated to find a way forwards. However, ten minutes into his walk down the path he was both shocked and annoyed to find a large lake in the distance, Zacyr's string around one of the stalagmites. He had just made a complete circle.

Zacyr sighed as he walked back over by the stalagmite. As he turned around, he was surprised to see he had come out of path number six. Ok, so path one and path six were connected . . . didn't that mean paths two, three, four, and five couldn't be the way out? Well okay, not _necessarily,_ but close enough that Zacyr decided next up would be path number seven.

As he walked into the path, he was surprised to find water flowing through this path. It wasn't much, but it got Zacyr's hopes up. "This water is trickling _towards_ the underground lake there, it has to originate from somewhere above the lake. At the very least, this path will eventually lead upwards."

It wasn't long before Zacyr found himself smiling. The path had just shifted, heading upwards. While the trickle of water came from a small river, Zacyr passed by it. Not even three minutes later, Zacyr opened his eyes to find light ahead, as well as a strangely-shaped hallucination 'blocking' the exit . . . wait, a hallucination can't have a shadow. This thing was real?

Zacyr slowly and silently headed towards the exit, watching the thing. It looked like a large cat, but as Zacyr got close enough to make out features he stopped walking. He could see the mane of what could only be a lion. Zacyr gulped as he retreated a few feet. The lion was looking the other way, and was simply sitting there. The only thing that allowed Zacyr to tell it from a statue was that its tail was moving.

"It's no use hiding, I know you're there."

Zacyr got the shock of his life when the lion turned around. This was a +Anima! Where a lion's head should have been, there was a vaguely human face looking at Zacyr. Zacyr frowned as he slowly got out of his hiding spot. "Who are you? What are you here for?"

The lion +Anima grinned as he spoke. "My name is Xorada. My past is not your concern. What _is_ your concern is that if you come too close to the exit, I will rip you apart."

Zacyr cringed at that. "So you work for the villagers, huh?"

Xorada slowly nodded. "Yes. However, I am unhappy with the villagers. So why don't the two of us have a battle of wits?"

Zacyr cocked his head as he sat down on a rock. "What do you have in mind, Xorada?"

A slight smirk appeared on Xorada's face. "The rules are simple. I will ask you a question. If you can answer it and defend your answer, I will let you by unharmed. If you can't, you shall not be allowed to pass."

Zacyr frowned, what the hell was wrong with this guy? It took Zacyr a while, but as Xorada shifted his position Zacyr suddenly saw a large length of chain around Xorada's foot. The other end was attached to a large rock by the entrance. Xorada was as much a prisoner as Zacyr was? Hmm . . . so Xorada was probably being kept here solely to keep Zacyr here. The villagers wouldn't be happy with Xorada if he let Zacyr pass . . . still, Xorada was offering a way out for Zacyr. "State your question."

Xorada grinned as he spoke. "What would happen if an unstoppable object were to collide with an immobile force?"

So this was the catch, Xorada was asking a paradox! But Zacyr could only grin. "Well, SOMEONE's going to be disappointed at the outcome."

Xorada's bravado shattered. He stared dumbstruck at Zacyr for a moment, like he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What? No, you can't just say that. That doesn't answer the question!"

With a chuckle, Zacyr got up and leaned against the wall. "How so?"

Xorada shook his head as he regained his composure. "You must remember that the force is UNSTOPPABLE, and the object it collides with is IMMOBILE. I want to know EXACTLY what would happen."

Zacyr could only grin at Xorada's reply. "I just TOLD you."

Yet again Xorada slipped, clearly annoyed at Zacyr's answer. "No, you gave me a half-assed reply that I would have expected from a two-year old!"

Zacyr simply chuckled as he shook his head. "No, I gave you the ANSWER."

Xorada was clearly angry, and it amused Zacyr. He knew what he was doing, and could only laugh as Xorada spoke again. "That does NOTHING to address the question and you _KNOW _it!"

Zacyr chuckled, it was like taking candy from a baby. "Oh? Well let's assume the event occurs. The way I see it, there are three outcomes. One, the unstoppable force, in fact, stops. Two, the immobile object, in fact, moves. Three, the unstoppable force glances off of the immobile object, having been forced to change direction.

"NOW, let's assume that there are two groups observing the event. One group is the one that sent out the unstoppable force. The second group is shielding themselves with the immobile object. If the first outcome happens, the first group is not going to be very happy. If the second one happens, then for the moment before they are killed, the second group is going to be considerably disappointed. If the THIRD event happens, then the first group shall be disappointed. AGAIN.

"Now let's assume that a fourth option will happen that involves the unstoppable force and the immobile object obliterating each other. That leaves two groups wondering what the hell just happened, and eventually one of the members of one of the groups WILL be disappointed. SO, as I stated before, someone's going to be disappointed."

Zacyr grinned at the dumbstruck look on Xorada's face. Xorada had finally caught on that Zacyr had, in fact, given him the answer. "But . . . you can't . . . let's assume that I asked you to tell me what would happen and that I only wanted ONE outcome."

_Oh, for . . ._ "I JUST GAVE THE FUCKING ANSWER: SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED!"

"Look, you don't understand. You gave me FOUR outcomes. I want you to narrow it down to one, dependable outcome that will happen no matter what."

Zacyr shook his head in annoyance. "As I already explained, ANY of the possible outcomes will end with at least one side disappointed. You never told me to tell you HOW they become disappointed, you just told me to explain what would happen if the forces met. Someone's going to end up disappointed."

For just a moment, Zacyr saw fear cross Xorada's face. He clearly hadn't expected Zacyr to be able to answer like he had, and soon he cleared his throat. "Look, maybe we should try another question."

Zacyr sighed. If he was honest, he had won that last one by a technicality. Now that Xorada knew that Zacyr wasn't the pushover Xorada had mistaken him for, it was only fair he had another try. "Shoot."

Xorada went into thought, clearly unsettled. It took a while before he spoke again, having regained some of his confidence. "What came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Zacyr merely grinned wider. "Egg."

Xorada's expression turned to one of confusion, but he kept his temper in check. "Ok, and your reasoning?"

Zacyr couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Look, I follow evolution. With me so far?"

Xorada nodded, clearly still confused, so Zacyr continued. "Reptiles came before birds, right?"

Xorada seemed confused as he spoke. "Yeah, I think so. But I fail to see-"

"Reptiles lay eggs. So what came first? The egg!"

Xorada's look turned to one of shock and fear. Zacyr could only grin wider, he had won this one fair and square. It was a while before Xorada spoke, but when he did Zacyr could hear Xorada's broken pride. ". . . _damn it_."

It seemed to take forever before Xorada walked to the side of the cave entrance, soon sitting his lion-rump on the ground as his head drooped down. Zacyr sighed as he exited the cave, but a squeak from Real got Zacyr to move fast.

He _barely_ avoided a spear that flew by his head, and Xorada soon backed up against the rock as the village leader, along with some of the village men, appeared. "_Xorada!_"

Zacyr saw Xorada gulp as the village leader approached him, clearly angry. "Do you even realize the consequences for what you've _done?_ Answer me, Xorada! _You just let the six-armed demon pass by without so much as a CHALLENGE!_"

Xorada shivered in fear as the leader approached. Zacyr didn't even think about what to do. One second he was about to escape, the next he was standing in-between the village's startled leader and Xorada. Zacyr quickly raked his mind for a way to help Xorada, not once wondering why he wanted to save Xorada from the wrath of the village. "He gave me a challenge. He challenged me to a battle of wits and lost. For him to stop me would require him to break a promise."

Zacyr could almost see the wheels in the village leader's head turning as he eyed Zacyr. "Hmm . . . so you wish for him to not be punished? Perhaps we can save ourselves from certain doom. After all, the ilar said nothing about us having to kill or contain you, it only states that if Yako leaves the village because of you then we shall die."

Zacyr waited patiently as the village leader nodded to himself. "Very well then, Zacyr. We shall let him live-we shall even unchain him. In return"

The village leader gave a cruel grin towards Zacyr. "You swear an oath to never again enter our village."

Zacyr paled, an _oath?_ But it only took him looking back at Xorada once to reach his conclusion. Xorada had changed back to a human. The blond-haired, green-eyed boy wearing white robes couldn't have been older than Zacyr. He just didn't deserve to die. "I-I . . . I swear on my honor to never set foot inside of your village again, no matter what I wish to do."

Zacyr shuddered as the village leader gave a content smirk. He walked past Zacyr, soon undoing the shackle around Xorada's foot. "Xorada, you are free to go."

Zacyr wasn't surprised when Xorada bolted, clearly worried that the village leader was going to change his mind. Zacyr sighed as he began to walk away, contemplating his own actions. He had just sworn an oath to the village leader that he wouldn't ever enter the village again, all to keep Xorada from being hurt.

Almost the instant he was out of sight of the villagers, Zacyr saw Xorada reappear. "Thank you, I-uh . . ."

Zacyr looked the other way. "I hope you're happy, _Xorada_."

Zacyr spat out Xorada's name as if it was venom, and he saw Xorada flinch out of the corner of his eye. "I-uh, look. I didn't mean anything, I-I'll help you figure out how to convince your friends to leave the village. I-it's only fair that-"

With a vicious cry Zacyr wheeled himself around to face Xorada. "I'm not going to try. The villagers are only interested in harming me. Tachine, Sarysi, Kshtsi, and even Tersil are being handed food on a silver platter! There's no reason I should expect them to leave just because I'm not allowed."

Zacyr turned around and started to storm off, but Xorada spoke again. "So you want to go on alone?"

The question got Zacyr to stop walking, but he only breathed deeply. "It's my only choice. What else can I do?"

"You could try to explain it to them, I know of a way to sneak into the vil-"

Zacyr didn't even let Xorada finish the sentence. Zacyr again wheeled around, this time slugging Xorada in the side of the face with his fist. As Xorada landed on the ground, soon looking at Zacyr in shock, Zacyr gave him a murderous glare. "_**You want me to break an oath?**_ I can tolerate being alone, I can tolerate my eyes lying to me. But a person that is willing to break a promise? _**No!**_ I _refuse_! Those that break a promise are the absolute _worst_ kind of people! I will _not_ sneak into the village! I am bound by my word to _never again_ enter the village! Now leave me alone!"

Zacyr wheeled himself around and soon left Xorada behind him, trying to contemplate why he had chosen to save Xorada. He soon reached into his pack and pulled out his shirt, he may as well _look_ like a normal person. As Zacyr put his pack back on, he was suddenly aware that Real had vanished. Well, that was just _great!_ Now Real was abandoning him too? Why did everyone hate him so . . .

Zacyr frowned, what the hell? He didn't understand. Why was he so angry? He didn't normally get this angry that fast, he . . . what was setting him off? Xorada didn't deserve the punch to the face. Zacyr knew very well that his own views on honor were quite . . . conflicting. He couldn't help that he couldn't make himself break a promise.

It was entirely his choice to swear that oath. It wasn't something Xorada had planned. Eventually Zacyr sighed as he turned to go back where he had left Xorada. He had to try to explain it. It was just . . . oh no.

"Oh, _Zacyr._"

He could only gulp as he heard Edreg behind him. Zacyr turned around fast, losing all resemblance of color when he realized he was up against all four of Edreg's group. It was a bit before Zacyr nodded to himself, he was in too bad of a position to let his own paranoia stop him from using every last object he had.

Zacyr took off his pack, taking a deep breath as Edreg chuckled. "So you're giving up? A wise choice."

A smirk came to Zacyr's lips. "This isn't a duel between humans, Edreg. This is a duel"

Zacyr pushed outwards with his lower arms, quickly using them so he could slip off his shirt. He grinned as he saw Edreg, Rudeg, Kesi, and Dancing Shadow's eyes all widen in shock as Zacyr got ready to charge. "_**BETWEEN US FREAKS!**_"

Zacyr charged at Edreg, getting ready for what he knew was going to be a tough fight.

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><p>Danger at every turn. If it's not crazy people mistaking Zacyr for a demon, it's a lion that thinks it's a sphinx! If it's not that, then it's Edreg! Will Zacyr be able to handle Edreg now that he's using all six of his arms, or shall Edreg get a revenge that's not needed? Find out in the next chapter!<p>

Oh, and before I forget:

Kshtsi= Kish-tsi. To hear it out-loud, use google translator and type in Kshtsi. (When I first saw his name, I was like 'ookay, and you spell that . . .' :)


	31. A Friend In Need

Zacyr believes that his friends would choose godhood over his presence. He should know better than that by now :)

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><p>Sarysi couldn't believe it. She sat down on a large log, trying to take in what she had learned. Tersil and Kshtsi were soon sitting next to her, and Kshtsi cleared his throat. "You heard them. There are so many dangers in their cave that Zacyr has little to no chance of finding the cave exit. I . . . I wish we could do something, but . . . we just found out too late."<p>

Tersil sighed, and Sarysi simply nodded. That had been almost an hour ago, and . . . it was just not fair! "Zacyr didn't do anything wrong, he's getting punished for something he never did!"

Sarysi, Tersil, and Kshtsi were surprised when Tachine ran into view. Just one look at her told Sarysi that she had _finally_ sobered up. She actually looked rather shaken as she spoke to them, breathing heavily. "Where's Zacyr?"

In spite of the current situation, Sarysi grinned. "Finally noticed?"

Tachine blushed, but Sarysi spoke before Tachine could reply. "We spoke to the villagers. Under some mild persuasion, they told us how they tossed Zacyr into the river. The river leads into an underground cave with many paths, but only one leads to the exit. What's more, those paths are dangerous enough that no one has gotten out yet."

Sarysi was surprised when Tachine shook her head, looking almost amused. "No, I really don't think he's in the caves."

Before any of them could ask, they all were deeply startled when a blond-haired, green-eyed boy with white robes walked into view. He was breathing heavily, and a nasty-looking bruise was forming on the side of his face. "H-he got out. Then . . ."

The boy winced as he gently rubbed the bruised side of his face. "_Damn_, he's got one _hell_ of a right hook."

It suddenly clicked for Sarysi. This boy had seen Zacyr. "Where is Zacyr? Tell me, or you will get a matching bruise on the other side of your face!"

The boy flinched, and surprised Sarysi when he transformed into a lion with a human's face. He said something, but Sarysi didn't catch it. Instead, she was thinking of three words. 'Fox, Spider, Lion'. So the lion _wasn't_ just a random creature included into the game? Hmm . . .

But then again, she hadn't seen a lion in the ilar. She hadn't even heard of a lion god, so . . . whatever, losing focus. Zacyr was missing, although according to this lion +Anima Zacyr was still alive. "So what happened?"

The lion +Anima, who soon revealed his name to be Xorada, explained how Zacyr had saved him from the villagers in return for swearing an oath to never again enter the village. After he did, Zacyr had stormed off by himself, apparently intending to keep his promise.

As Tersil stated that it was Zacyr's choice whether he wanted to go solo now, Sarysi's blood ran cold. The instant she heard a slight squeak from behind her, Sarysi turned to see Real the mouse sitting there, looking at the group.

Sarysi didn't wait to explain it, she didn't have much time! She immediately charged into the forest behind Real, intent on locating Zacyr. Edreg wanted Zacyr dead, and had already proven that he was willing to use _any_ advantage in an attempt to kill Zacyr. Zacyr was now trying to travel alone. This was a _golden_ opportunity for Edreg, and if he had half a brain-cell then he would already have attacked while Zacyr was still alone!

Sarysi didn't have to run far before she heard the sounds of a fight. Soon afterwards she reached a clearing. She only waited long enough to figure out the situation so far, and was surprised to see how well Zacyr had done. Both Rudeg and Kesi were knocked out and bound in rope. Edreg was nursing his head, clearly recuperating from a nasty hit.

Zacyr was currently running towards Dancing Shadow, but it was clear from the cuts and bruises on Zacyr that Dancing Shadow was easily holding him off. As Sarysi charged into the clearing Dancing Shadow looked at her in shock. Zacyr tried to take advantage of Dancing Shadow's clear shock, but Dancing Shadow didn't miss a beat. The instant Zacyr got within striking range Dancing Shadow whipped one of his mantis-arms at Zacyr, catching him in the chest and sending him tumbling backwards.

As Zacyr finally came to a stop Sarysi switched into her +Anima form, and Dancing Shadow dashed in her direction. Sarysi knew how Dancing Shadow fought. He used his impressive speed to dodge an attack and deliver his own. She had to immobilize him with her claws before striking with her stinger.

Of course, she thought to herself as Dancing Shadow side-stepped her, the hard part was catching him. Dancing Shadow was a lot faster than most of Sarysi's opponents, not only because of his lightning-fast strikes with his mantis hands but also because of his fast feet. He was a lot taller than most people, and all of that extra height was with his legs. Since that increased his stride-length, and he clearly was trained well to move as fast as possible, it made Dancing Shadow almost unnaturally fast.

The two of them dueled for a bit, neither one making much headway. Dancing Shadow needed to get close-range in order to hit Sarysi, but Sarysi was careful to always keep her stinger pointed towards Dancing Shadow. If he got too close, Sarysi could easily kill him with a well-aimed sting, and if the sting itself wasn't fatal it would still paralyze him and make him an easy target. As such, the two of them had a hard time against each other.

Sarysi was really getting into it, and as she did Zacyr and Edreg were dueling as well. After a bit, Dancing Shadow and Sarysi eyed their partners with surprise. Both of them were actually even. Edreg was stronger than Zacyr, strength that came from his +Anima form. In short, Zacyr couldn't hold Edreg still with only his normal pair of arms. But if he used all six, he could stop Edreg's arms with ease.

It was only when they heard the footsteps headed their way that Dancing Shadow stiffened. "Edreg, we've got to cut this one short."

"_**Do you think I'm TRYING to take my time?**_"

Both Sarysi and Dancing Shadow chuckled at that. It was only when Dancing Shadow charged at Zacyr that Sarysi realized what he was intending to do. Zacyr only had time to turn his head and look over at Dancing Shadow before Dancing Shadow forcefully separated Zacyr and Edreg, sending Zacyr flying backwards over by his pack and his shirt.

By the time Tachine, Kshtsi, Tersil, and Xorada had entered the clearing Edreg and Dancing Shadow had left, Dancing Shadow taking Rudeg and Kesi's unconscious and bound forms with him. Sarysi ran over to Zacyr, and he looked up at her with a smile. "Th-"

Sarysi didn't give him a chance to speak. The instant she got in range she hit him hard on the head with her claws, hard enough that she felt the force ripple through Zacyr's body. "_**Oh you BITCH that hurt!**_"

Sarysi switched back to her human form as she glared at Zacyr, soon placing her hands on her hips. "You of _all_ people know that you can't go solo, _especially_ with that son of a bitch still trying to hunt you down! And even before that, _why didn't you tell us you were okay?_ I thought you were dead, or walking around in the caves with as much awareness to the area around you as a chicken with its head cut off! Don't _ever_ do that to me again!"

Sarysi couldn't help it as she wrapped a _very_ startled Zacyr in a hug. She was so_ relieved_ that he was alright! Once she was done she stood up, and laughed as she noticed just how red Zacyr's face was. He clearly hadn't expected most, if not all, of that.

As Sarysi got up she noticed the shocked looks that Tersil, Xorada, and Kshtsi were giving her, as well as the amused look Tachine was giving her. She couldn't do anything more than shrug. Eventually Tachine cleared her throat, still seeming rather amused. "You know Zacyr, I firmly believe in the 'No one gets left behind' policy. I don't care if a village chooses me to be their goddess, if it means that I can never see you again then it's just not going to happen. We're friends now Zacyr, that's worth more than a bunch of morons that can't tell a +Anima from a god."

Sarysi smiled at Tachine, but soon turned when she heard a solid thud. Zacyr had gotten on his shirt now, but as he had gone to pick up his bag a good-sized book had fallen out of it. Zacyr flinched. "Oh, I forgot about that book."

Sarysi was surprised when Kshtsi spoke up. "A book? Where did you get that?"

Now that confused Sarysi. "What? He can have a book, I'm not so cruel that I'm going to choose what he does in his spare time."

Kshtsi grinned at Sarysi. "Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that he can't read."

Soon every pair of eyes was on Zacyr, who blushed. "I found the book in the caves, along with a skeleton. I figured it might be important."

Sarysi shrugged as she grabbed the book, almost lazily reading the title. "'The Etur'."

She opened it up, and almost dropped it in shock. It wasn't long before she was scanning the book, in complete shock at what she was seeing. "I . . . I don't believe it. Zacyr, I think you found the origin of their religion."

It wasn't long before Sarysi grabbed out the ilar, and compared the two books with each other. She was shocked when she realized that while the ilar was an old book, the etur was a MUCH older book. Soon everyone was gathered around Kshtsi as he read the book out loud.

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><p>Yay! Story time!<p>

At least in the next chapter.


	32. The Etur

Every religion, no matter how abnormal, has to have an origin.

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><p><em>I could say that this is a story about a young girl who changed all of our lives. I could say this is the story of a boy that was cursed. Or I could say that this is the story of a different boy who let his yearning for one girl in particular turn into an obsession. Then again, there are so many different things I could say this is a story of. I could say that this story tells of the conflicts that even a god has, or I could say that this is simply about all of them. If one asked the other villagers about Yako, I am certain that they would say 'I remember the day she appeared'. Not me, though. I remember the day <em>_**they**__ appeared._

_I could say that Yako's hair seemed to burn with the same fire that fueled her being, but I would not be doing her justice. She was the very essence of youth, a girl in her prime years. Her curiosity knew no bounds, she was excited about everything. As to how she looked, she caught everyone's eye. Her curiosity was only matched by her beauty. She was the type of girl that when she entered the village, everyone knew and automatically smiled._

_It is understandable that people would forget about Noroi. I can only assume he preferred it that way. From the beginning, the cold and stern gaze from his red eyes could make anyone shiver. Yako and Noroi complemented each other well, actually. Yako enjoyed the company of others, and wanted to know everything about everyone. She was extremely curious to all around her._

_In complete contrast, Noroi never asked questions. He never could be surprised, and was quick to draw his blade from its sheath. He trusted no one, and as such was liked by few. He never seemed upset by his lack of attention. Indeed, he seemed unsettled when in a large crowd and would avoid them no matter the cost._

_Many would wonder why two polar opposites would be friends, but not me. In my opinion, they complemented each other perfectly. Now I know what you're thinking. 'It's just another love story.' Yako and Noroi loved each other, yes, but it was a different kind of love. It was not the father and the mother type of love, but the love two siblings may have for one another. The two of them enjoyed each other's presence, and from the start Noroi made it obvious he would give his life to keep Yako safe. Yako was the essence of youth, but Noroi was wise and wary beyond his years. I remember laughing as I thought of that, for in reality Yako was older than Noroi._

_We had a predicament of our own at that time. It is custom for the son of our village's leader to be married before the death of their father. At that time, it meant that Ono had to be married. But Ono disliked the girls of the village. He did not care for their serious attitudes, or he found them as annoying. His father was getting on in his years, and Ono would have to choose quickly. But Ono continued to refuse, stating that love was not something one could hurry._

_When Yako and Noroi appeared, Ono shocked us all by stopping the two of them. Noroi's reaction may have been a bit harsh, but it impressed me. He drew out his sword and rested the very tip of it against Ono's nose. He didn't need to say a word. His warning to Ono was inescapably clear._

_Ono apologized to Noroi, explaining that he did not wish to cause harm. Noroi wasn't satisfied with the answer, but Yako demanded Noroi to put his blade away. It was a while before Noroi lowered his sword, but he kept it out of its sheath and pointed in Ono's direction. He simply stated for Ono to choose his words carefully._

_I was astounded when Ono timidly asked Yako if she wanted a drink. Yako's eyes flared up with immeasurable joy as she eagerly agreed. I remember laughing out loud as Yako dragged Ono into his house, stating how much she __**loved**__ to have sake._

_During this time, I watched Noroi's reaction. I saw pain hidden deep within his eyes as he put away his sword. Noroi himself said nothing as he walked towards the building. It was only after he entered the building that the villagers began to speak. I still remember the shock in their voices, and I must admit I was just as curious. Could Ono have truly fallen for this Yako?_

_In very little time the three of them reemerged from Ono's home, Yako now bringing a bottle in each hand. Noroi seemed rather upset about Yako drinking two of them, but Yako waved it off. I was amused when Yako, in her drunken stupor, asked Ono to dance with her. I laughed at first, but when Ono agreed I and everyone else could only stare in amazement._

_Yako and Ono soon stood there, hand in hand. The other villagers and I watched in shock as they began to dance. They danced to a beat no one could hear but them. It was a fast and frenzied dance, and I suspect the tool they used to keep the beat was their hearts. Both of them had looks of joy as they danced around the village. During this time, I noticed that Noroi had just a hint of a smile on his lips. He watched them dance, but stood ready to intervene at any sign of a problem._

_It was a while before my eyes, as well as everyone else's, widened in shock. Yako was changing before our very eyes. A large fox' tail crept out from her robes. As her ears and face began to change Noroi quickly drew his sword. I stopped a woman from intervening with the dance, it was clear to me that Noroi would kill the first person that made any hostile act towards Yako._

_To this day, I don't know why Ono didn't react. Had he known all along that Yako was one of the animal gods? Was that what caught his eye about Yako? He didn't miss a single step in their dance, and he showed no fear towards Yako as they spun circles around each other. The village leader and some of the villagers, including me, motioned for no one to intervene._

_At first I believed the leader gave the order because of Noroi, because he would rush into action if he believed Yako to be in danger. But as I saw the look in Ono's eyes, there was no longer any doubt. Ono had fallen in love with Yako. The two of them continued to dance for some time, but eventually even the dance came to an end. I had never seen two people so deeply in love._

_But not all was well. One farmer cursed out loud, shouting profanities at Yako. He then demanded to know what was wrong with __**his**__ daughter, why Ono refused to marry her. Ono tried to explain to the farmer why not, but to everyone's shock the farmer charged at him._

_I had no reason to suspect that Noroi truly had any skill with his blade. I had no proof beforehand that Noroi was willing to intervene to save Yako. But that was just what he did. Noroi did not move so fast that he became a blur. He moved faster. I didn't see him run past me. It was as if he had turned into the wind._

_Noroi was suddenly between Ono and the enraged farmer. Noroi only said one word to the farmer, 'stop'. The farmer did not heed the warning, and as he drew nearer and nearer to Noroi I thought Noroi was doomed. His hand didn't go near his blade as the farmer got closer and closer._

_I was so foolish. I blinked. Before I blinked, the farmer was about to punch Noroi in the face. Afterwards, Noroi was leaning forwards with his sword now in his hands, covered in blood. The farmer's face showed complete shock, and it was only when the farmer's body separated that I realized Noroi had just sliced the farmer in half, from the right shoulder to the left side of his stomach._

_No one made a sound as both halves of the farmer hit the ground. I still remember the cruel smirk that crossed Noroi's face. For a moment, I thought I saw a demon where Noroi stood, someone that could only smile if he had committed a sin. But that moment soon passed as Noroi lazily wiped his sword clean of blood. As I watched, his smirk faded into his normal frown. He felt no guilt that he had taken a life._

_Yako seemed upset that Noroi had done that, asking Noroi why he was so quick to kill. I know not what Noroi's answer was, for the village leader gained everyone's attention when he cleared his throat. It was not long before he declared that there would be a celebration, and that everyone was invited. I watched as Yako cheered, not fully sober yet. I could only smile as Ono offered to show Yako around the village and I could only laugh at the joy in Yako's eyes as she agreed. Her excitement was almost too much to contain in one body._

_Now if I was any other villager, I would not know what happened to Noroi during this time. But I was not so narrow minded that I focused only on Ono and Yako, who walked hand-in-hand throughout the streets. I kept a wary eye on Noroi though, and I saw the smile on his face. He finally looked to be his age as he watched Yako and Ono, although he also appeared rather sad to see Yako walk away._

_The other villagers followed Ono and Yako, but I did not. I walked over to Noroi, and spoke to him when everyone else had left. We spoke to each other about many things. During that time Noroi's voice changed. It was no longer the stern and commanding voice that fit a soldier, but the calm and content voice of one who felt he had achieved a great deal of good._

_Eventually I offered to spar with Noroi, and he accepted. It had been years since I last touched a sword, but after a few embarrassing losses I began to hold my ground. I remember the smile on Noroi's face as we dueled again and again, soon I had won as many as I had lost. When we ended our sparring session Noroi surprised me by bowing to me, thanking me not for allowing him to hone his skills but for keeping him company._

_We left the house as the sun began to set. I asked Noroi about how Yako became one of the animal gods, and Noroi shocked me by taking off his shirt. When he turned around, I was shocked to see the black marking of a spider god upon his back. I listened as he wove a tale of broken hearts and betrayals, but I would be an oath-breaker if I explained anything more about his past. Know only that Noroi had seen dark and terrible deeds, and that there was blood on Noroi's hands that would never wash off._

_Noroi also told me of one other thing. He told me how he had met a strange lion god in the last town they traveled through, which I immediately recognized from his description to be a sphinx. He told me how the sphinx had fallen for Yako, but Yako refused to be with one so proud. Outraged, the sphinx attempted to force Yako to be with him._

_While I know that Noroi must have stopped the sphinx from harming Yako, he did not say so. By this time, we had found in the streets a nightmare given flesh. The very sphinx Noroi had told me about was attacking Ono, demanding Yako be his wife and his wife only. Noroi said nothing more to me. Instead Noroi dashed into the fray and without a moment's hesitation he intercepted the sphinx, no doubt saving Ono's life._

_Any doubt I had about the sphinx not being the one Noroi had spoken of vanished when I saw the rage etched into the sphinx' face. A cold and ominous silence surrounded the two of them, the spider and the lion, as the lion turned into a human and drew out his sword. Both Noroi and the sphinx stood there, not moving a single muscle. It was only when a slight wind blew that both of them charged at once._

_The duel with swords ended rather quickly. I felt my blood freeze within my veins when the sphinx and Noroi's swords met with such force that both swords split, the now useless remains of the swords falling to the ground. Before even the first piece of the swords hit the ground the sphinx assumed his god form, that of a lion with a human face._

_Noroi did not change his form. I was horrified as the sphinx struck Noroi again and again, now toying with the boy that had moments before been nigh invincible. I thought to myself, why did Noroi not change? He was no match for the sphinx in its god form, and soon the sphinx was about to go for the killing blow._

_That was when Noroi's shirt split as Noroi began to change. In no time at all he was suspended by six spider legs as a demonic grin seemed to dance across his lips. He struck before I could even see the sphinx's reaction, his legs turning into a blur as he began wrapping the sphinx in spider-silk. In very little time the sphinx was nothing more than a cocoon of silk. The only thing able to be heard was a few muffled screams._

_I was surprised when Yako spoke up, pleading with Noroi to change back quickly. It was only when Noroi introduced his fangs to the cocoon, getting a muffled shriek from the sphinx as the venom began to flow, that I understood. Noroi would not have done that. I could only stare in terror as I realized Noroi was no longer in control._

_Guided by the overpowering instincts of a spider, Noroi almost immediately began to force his digestive fluids to flow through the sphinx, who soon stopped screaming. Yako tried to stop him, but Noroi was no longer controlling his actions. He quickly tossed Yako back with one of his long spider legs, and I shuddered as a disgusting sound filled the air. Noroi was feasting._

_It didn't matter how I covered my ears, the awful sound of Noroi sucking out the insides of the sphinx would not go away. Eternity passed before the gut-wrenching noise finally stopped, and Noroi dropped the cocoon as if he was discarding a simple bottle of sake. Noroi then looked at us, and as his legs began to withdraw into his body I saw a thousand emotions raging in his eyes. I saw disgust, I saw fear . . . I saw the eyes of someone who didn't believe themselves to be anything but a monster._

_He gave no warning. The instant his feet were on the ground Noroi broke out into a sprint. Yako cried out for Noroi to stop, but he was already to the trees of the forest. Yako soon spoke to Ono, alerting Ono that she would be back as soon as she could, then went after Noroi. The next morning Yako reappeared with tears in her eyes. She had not been able to find Noroi. I soon told Yako and Ono that I would search for Noroi._

_That was three days ago. Noroi left without a trace, it is as if he disappeared from the surface of the world. However, I believe I may have found his hiding place. In front of me now is a cave. I shall soon attempt to enter the caves to find Noroi. Should the writing stop here, I never made it out alive._

* * *

><p>I don't normally write in first-person, but I think I did pretty good this time.<p>

Anyways, this chapter officially puts We Four Freaks as the story with the most chapters made YET out of my already-uploaded stories. WOOHOO!

Next up is going to be the explaining of particular events that happened here.


	33. Separating Fact From Fiction

What is a god? Is 'god' not a word we use to describe a being with power we can't understand?

What caused Noroi to lose control? What could cause an entire village to become obsessed with the idea of a simple visitor being a god?

So many questions remain. Perhaps this chapter shall explore some of these questions.

* * *

><p>Tachine and everyone else watched as Kshtsi closed the book. "That's all, the writing stops right there."<p>

For a good deal of time, no one spoke. Tachine couldn't believe it. So Yako was . . . but while the book labeled them gods, the writer didn't really _describe_ them as gods. If anything, the etur described the three 'gods' as if they were +Anima. "So Yako really existed?"

She watched as Kshtsi nodded, clearly unable to speak. Every head turned to face Acyr when he suddenly cleared his throat. "This explains a lot. This was at least a thousand years ago, not everyone knew what a +Anima was back then. Is it possible they called them 'animal gods'? Then _that_ got misunderstood to mean _real _gods . . . yeah. Over a thousand years, I can see how the story could change."

The group turned to face Xorada when he began to speak. "That's where the idea of a lion came from, because one lion +Anima got obsessive over Yako? Still . . . what could have caused Noroi to _eat_ a lion +Anima if he clearly was horrified he did so afterwards?"

It was Sarysi that spoke. "I've seen it before. Some +Anima lose control when they transform, and become something . . . less than human. I believe it has to do with their animal instincts being too strong for them to resist, so they begin acting like the animal they are a +Anima of."

Eventually Kshtsi handed the book back to Acyr. It was clearly an unintended action on Kshtsi's part, he was simply too polite to keep a book that wasn't his. But Tachine saw the pain appear in Acyr's eyes as he accepted the book. As everyone else spoke about what they had learned Acyr opened the book silently, fruitlessly attempting to understand the markings that he couldn't actually decipher.

Tachine couldn't believe what she had learned about Acyr. He couldn't _read?_ This didn't make any sense. How could Tachine not have noticed that after all the time that she spent near Acyr? She felt a smile come to her face, but quickly hid it. Every time that she thought she knew everything about Acyr, another secret was revealed. She was starting to wonder how one person could have so many secrets, whether by choice or by coincidence.

Sarysi got Tachine to focus when she spoke. "So _that's_ where 'Fox, Spider, Lion' came from! It must have been a game based off of the _real_ events, and that explains how it works! Yako beats Noroi because Noroi would _never_ have hurt her, Noroi beats the lion because he . . . well, beat the lion. The Lion beats Yako because she couldn't stop him from attacking those that she fell in love with!"

Tachine sighed as she thought about it. So over the years someone mistook the 'god' part to mean that they were literal gods. Then the sphinx got phased out of the story. Considering Noroi's cold and lonely personality, combined with the fact that he _ate_ the sphinx like a spider would eat a fly, it made sense that he'd be seen as evil. Still-

Everyone looked at Acyr when he suddenly flinched. "Hey, there's something on the back of the last page!"

Tachine cringed when Xorada spoke up. "Well, what's it say?"

Acyr's face flushed with embarrassment as an awkward silence filled the air. Tachine saw Xorada blush furiously as he remembered Acyr couldn't read. In an attempt to help the situation pass Tachine quickly walked over to Acyr and looked over his shoulder. "It says . . . 'Monkeyman was here'."

Kshtsi immediately raised an eyebrow. "Who . . . maybe that's a monkey +Anima? Whatever, it's not important. I guess the question now is . . . what do we do next? We've probably got the entire village looking for us."

Tachine couldn't help but chuckle. It took Kshtsi asking what was funny before Tachine decided to explain it. "You think that they would just have let me leave the village? Trust me. They don't even know I'm gone yet. They're probably still staying in their homes, waiting for me to tell them that my 'surprise' for them is ready. _So_, we should find the path and continue on our way."

After everyone else agreed they all soon were traveling through the forest, looking for the path. Fortunately it didn't take them long to find it, and Acyr was soon able to confirm it was the right path. As they all began walking to the next area, Tachine realized that Xorada and Tersil were fast becoming friends.

It wasn't long before the group found a surprise. The path branched off into three separate paths, all headed in a different direction. When they reached the branching point the group stopped and Tachine looked at everyone. "Alright, which path do we take?"

Acyr, Sarysi, and Kshtsi all pointed to the same path while Tersil and Xorada pointed to a different path. Eventually the two of them grinned at each other then shocked the rest of the group when they explained that they were going to go on that path. After wishing the group well Tersil and Xorada turned to their +Anima forms and raced down that path, going far too fast for the rest of the group to follow.

Soon Tachine, Acyr, Sarysi, and Kshtsi were walking down the path they had chosen. While there were large areas that no trees could be seen, it wasn't long before the scenery changed and there was a forest on both sides of the path. Tachine grinned as she realized the effect it had on Acyr, he looked much more at home when surrounded by trees.

They walked for the rest of the day, only sometimes making light conversation. About when the sun was about to set the group saw a good-sized plain in the distance. They decided to stop for the day and talk about what to do next. Once they found a small clearing in the forest off of the path they all decided it would be a good place to stay for the night.

Tachine was about to sit down when Sarysi told them to wait. She went into the forest, and a few minutes later she reappeared, rolling a log into the clearing for a place to sit. Once she found a second one everyone sat down. Tachine sat down next to Kshtsi while Acyr and Sarysi sat down on the other log.

Eventually Kshtsi brought up about the plains. "That looked like a good two or three days of travel right there."

Acyr nodded, although he looked nervous. "We're going to want to stock up on supplies, finding food in the plains is something I'm just not good at."

Sarysi nodded, stating that they'd want to also work to get some water and bring it along. Tachine grinned as she grabbed out a few containers they could store water in from out of her pack. "These were given as a gift by the villagers. It would be rude to let them go to waste."

She saw Sarysi and Acyr chuckle before Sarysi, Acyr, and Kshtsi got up. "Alright, who wants to do what?"

Tachine gave a slight grin. "Sarysi, you're good at finding food. That'll be your job. Kshtsi, fish and water. Acyr-"

Acyr sighed as he turned around. "Yeah, set up traps and get berries. I got it."

Tachine found a smile appearing on her face. "Actually that's not what I was going to say. You and I are going to stay here."

Acyr, Sarysi, and Kshtsi flinched. It was Kshtsi who spoke. "I expected you to stay here Tachine, but . . . it's not like you to have Acyr do nothing."

Tachine couldn't help the broad smile on her face. "Two things. One, he never got to be pampered by the villagers. We did. Two, I never _said_ he got to do nothing. His job's going to be between me and him."

While it was obvious Acyr, Sarysi, and Kshtsi were curious they nonetheless complied. Once Sarysi and Kshtsi were out of the clearing Tachine got to work. She felt a small smile come to her lips as she walked over to a nearby tree and grabbed out her hunting knife, soon cutting into the bark of the tree. Once she was done, she looked at Acyr with a smile on her face. "This is the letter 'a'."

* * *

><p>YES! Zacyr is now learning how to read! Now before I conclude, I want to explain one very important part of this story.<p>

Who was this Monkeyman, you may ask? Well, let me explain how he came to be in the book. The following is an excerpt from a chat-conversation with a friend of mine.

[thetimetel: I GOT AN IDEA

Monkeyman22: ?

thetimetel: On the VERY last page of the etur, there should be one sentence in strange handwriting

thetimetel: 'Monkeyman was here'

Monkeyman22: LOL

Monkeyman22: epic

thetimetel: Do you want?

Monkeyman22: YUS

thetimetel: Then it shall be done]

:)


	34. Something To Prove

Alright, a week's worth of vacation and I am back and raring to go!

For those of you wondering, I decided to think a bit more about the specifics of the next few events. I have also read volume 3 of +Anima now, so keep an eye out for Cooro's group. Not in this chapter though.

This chapter is just me breaking rust, to be honest. But I also felt like I had to hand Edreg the spotlight again.

It's a good thing that Edreg's the most evil person on his team . . . right? Or is there more to Kesi than meets the eye?

* * *

><p>Edreg sighed as he sat down. His group had chosen to rest in this clearing for the night, and was now having supper. As he bit into part of a fish, Kesi spoke up. "Edreg, I don't mean to be . . . rude, but . . . you never told us Zacyr had . . ."<p>

Edreg shook his head. "I had no idea. I was just as shocked as you were. I _still_ can't believe it. All this time, he had _six_ arms?"

Edreg turned to face Dancing Shadow when Dancing Shadow cleared his throat. "I must admit, he surprised me. But this explains a lot, especially how he survived you stabbing him. One of his arms absorbed the hit. I suppose he _must_ have been born with them. I feel rather bad for him. Not only does he have to face his hallucinations, his very _body_ is almost impossible to comprehend."

Edreg shook his head. For once, he was rather relieved when Rudeg spoke up. "_You feel __**bad**__ for him?_ It matters not that he is a freak to his own kind, he's still human! He does not know what it is like for us +Anima, he's nothing more than another human!"

Edreg sighed when Rudeg looked at him. "You know, I honestly believe you're going in the wrong direction with your revenge."

After holding up a hand to silence Rudeg, Edreg spoke to her. "Look, I despise him. I want him _dead_. He destroyed my life, I'll destroy his. It's as simple as that."

Rudeg let out a grunt of frustration. "Yes, but you don't understand. I understand that you are new to these feelings of revenge, but let me explain. You don't want to see him _dead_, you want to see him _suffer._ Just imagine him pleading for mercy, and try to tell me you don't want that to become a reality. All I need are two days alone with him, and I'll have him turned into your personal slave."

Edreg let out an involuntary shiver. "Rudeg, you scare the _shit_ out of me when you speak like this. Look, I have no doubt that you are willing to help me with my revenge."

Rudeg let out a grin. "Just wait one _damn_ minute and let me explain."

With a sigh Edreg opened his mouth to speak. Quicker than Edreg could follow Rudeg turned around and her skunk tail twitched, stopping Edreg mid-word. Rudeg held the pose for a bit, but then turned back around. "Now, I'm not certain you understand the usefulness of a slave. I can turn him into a perfectly compliant slave, Edreg. Ask him to carry your stuff, and he will. You feel like beating him up? He wouldn't even defend himself. Just _imagine_ it, Edreg. I can make it so he won't _dare_ run away, so he won't _dare_ complain. He will do _anything_ you ask of him, no matter how degrading or humiliating it is. It's like having a beast of burden that a _tiny_ bit more intelligent, one that will follow your _every_ order! You want to humiliate him? It's as simple as-"

"_**WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?**_"

Edreg went into his +Anima form as he glared viciously at Rudeg. She didn't even look surprised as Edreg shook his head. "I am _killing_ him, not _torturing_ him! _Damn it_ Rudeg, you scare the _shit_ out of me! What kind of demon spawned you?"

Rudeg didn't look in the least offended. Indeed, she actually smiled cruelly at Edreg, making an ice-cold chill race down Edreg's spine as she chuckled. "I never told you? His name was Sidas. He was one of the worst fuckers to roam the earth, and when I learned we were related, I couldn't have been more delighted."

Rudeg got to her feet and started walking over to Edreg. While Edreg held up his claws in warning for Rudeg to get no closer, Rudeg simply laughed. "You see, I delight in creating slaves out of the strongest humans. It's much more fun than the normal, spineless cowards that I've tamed. I made it my mission to hunt down my father, and during which I perfected my art of slave-taming."

Edreg shivered in fear as Rudeg began walking around him, eyeing him with a sadistic glee at the fear she _knew_ he felt towards her. He had never known someone could take so much delight in another person's fear. "He had no idea I was looking for him, but he still was always one step ahead of me. Then, _just_ when I finally had him tracked down, I learned that he had been killed. Do you know who killed him?"

Rudeg simply chuckled as she leaned in close, whispering in Edreg's ear. "_Zacyr._ As such, Zacyr will take Sidas' place as my slave. And I will spare him nothing in his training. He has already proven to be every bit as tough in will as Sidas was, and I can't _wait_ to break that will. I can't even _begin_ to tell you how delighted I will be when I hear him beg me for mercy. If you want to kill him, fine. All I ask is two days alone with him. Trust me, Edreg"

Rudeg chuckled as she walked past Edreg and towards the forest. "When I'm through with him, you will enjoy his much more . . . _submissive_ personality. Maybe if you say please, I'll let you keep him."

As Rudeg entered the trees, Edreg heard her laughter fill the air. He shivered in fear. "_Holy shit._"

Edreg's nerves were frayed, so when a hand went on his shoulder he immediately turned around with a yelp and swung his claws towards the one that touched him. Fortunately, Dancing Shadow _easily_ parried the attack without even going into his +Anima form. Once Edreg calmed down slightly, Dancing Shadow eyed the area Rudeg had walked into the forest from. "Edreg, I'm sorry. But if I see Rudeg successfully capture Zacyr, I'm going to be his mercy angel."

Edreg simply nodded. "I'm not blaming you. Whatever happens, we do _not_ leave Rudeg alone with him. I can't justify the hell she'll put him through. But . . . she's _never_ went that far with her explanation. I have seen her hatred towards humans, but . . . for her to be this _sadistic_ . . ."

Dancing Shadow nodded as he looked into the distance. "Perhaps she would not speak of it like that because she didn't want to upset Cody?"

Edreg could only nod. He had thought that Rudeg was scary before, but he had _never_ seen this . . . _demonic_ side of her. "It's just another reason I wish Cody was still alive."

* * *

><p>No, Kesi's the kind and quiet type. Now, RUDEG on the other hand . . . well, she's not exactly a fluffy kitten.<p>

Sorry about the huge lull in activity. I DO have the overall plot thought out, but there are plenty of mini-plots that I keep on thinking up and trying to squeeze in. On the bright side, I'm finally getting somewhere again!

Update:4/24/12

Kesi's a different person. He's the porcupine +Anima. Dancing Shadow is the Praying Mantis +Anima. Kesi just doesn't speak that much.


	35. Revelation

Whew, that one took a while to make. SO, here's the next chapter!

* * *

><p>Kshtsi yawned slightly as he got to his feet. He looked around to see Sarysi was already up, and the two of them greeted each other. As Kshtsi looked up at the sky, he was shocked to see just how much time had passed. "What the-why did no one wake me up?"<p>

Sarysi simply shrugged. "We all slept in. Tachine and Zacyr aren't even up."

Kshtsi flinched as he wheeled himself around. As Sarysi had said, Kshtsi found Tachine and Zacyr sound asleep. While Tachine normally slept in . . . this was the absolute _first_ time that Kshtsi had seen Zacyr sleep in as well. Then again . . . he had had one _hell_ of a day yesterday.

As Kshtsi gently rubbed Tachine's shoulder, Sarysi walked over to Zacyr. Just as Tachine began to stir, Kshtsi suddenly realized what Sarysi was about to do. He turned to see Sarysi standing above Zacyr, bringing back her hand. Just before she was going to strike, Kshtsi flinched as Zacyr's eyes flew open. "_**Don't you DARE, Sarysi!**_"

Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine all flinched as Zacyr looked up at Sarysi, giving her a vicious glare. "Morning already? Well, that's _fucking _great!"

Kshtsi couldn't believe it as Zacyr got up, muttering swearwords and curses. He had _never_ seen Zacyr so . . . easily upset, for lack of a better way to describe it. "You were already awake?"

Zacyr got Kshtsi to flinch when he glared at Kshtsi. "_Awake_? I . . ."

Zacyr froze mid-sentence. He soon closed his eyes and started taking deep breaths. Kshtsi was surprised to see how effective it was for Zacyr, he calmed down almost immediately. Zacyr soon spoke again, sounding much calmer than before. "S-sorry, I had the _worst_ night. Every time I went to sleep, I had the same fucking nightmare!"

As Zacyr looked at the rest of the group, Kshtsi was surprised to see the bags under Zacyr's eyes. "Wow, now that you mention it . . . you look exhausted."

Zacyr's eyes shifted into a glare for a moment, but his glare quickly softened. "Well, there's a reason for it. I can't figure it out, why the _devil_ won't that nightmare go away?"

Kshtsi didn't know what to say, but Zacyr abruptly shook his head. "Whatever, it was just a rough night, I've had those before. Are we going or _not_?"

As Zacyr put his hands on his hips, Sarysi raised an eyelid. "Why do you keep doing that? Isn't the _male_ reaction to impatience to cross your arms?"

Kshtsi sighed in relief when Zacyr's expression softened. "I'm already doing that with two pairs of arms. If I did it with my normal pair, it would make my extra arms obvious."

Soon the group was getting ready to cross the plains. Almost immediately, Kshtsi was completely shocked at how Zacyr was acting. There was no other way to explain it, Zacyr _clearly_ got cranky whenever he didn't get his sleep. Instead of his normally calm and patient demeanor, Zacyr was almost _vicious_ about everything.

Not to say that he wasn't aware of that. Zacyr always caught himself whenever he was about to go on a rant, and he was clearly _trying_ to be patient. The issue was that it just wasn't working. Zacyr's lack of sleep clearly had him in a foul mood, and intentionally or not he was attempting to vent out his frustration at everyone else.

So when Kshtsi saw a large group of people approaching on horses, all of them bearing the insignia of Astaria, he _knew _that there was going to be trouble. By this point, Zacyr was snapping at any small thing that happened that he disliked, and even some of them that he _did_ like. If he snapped at the soldiers . . . Kshtsi had to think of something _fast!_ How did Zacyr normally calm himself down . . . come on, Kshtsi _had_ to have seen a time that Zacyr had-

He came to when he heard a startled cry from Zacyr. "_Hey, what are you doing Tachine?_"

It was only after Zacyr spoke that Kshtsi realized Tachine had opened Zacyr's pack. "Just tolerate me for five seconds, Zacyr."

As Zacyr stood still, clearly startled at Tachine's actions, Kshtsi and Sarysi looked at each other. Sarysi cocked her head as she motioned towards Tachine, and Kshtsi just shrugged. It was only when Tachine pulled out a large length of string that Kshtsi understood. With a grin Tachine forced the string into Zacyr's hands.

The change was _immediate_. In barely a second, Zacyr was busy making intricate designs with the string. A slight smile came to his face as he began making more and more patterns, and soon he was a completely different person. As the group approached the soldiers, Kshtsi smiled at Tachine.

Of course, when the soldiers came closer the commander immediately eyed Zacyr. Kshtsi frowned as he looked at the man's intimidating face. He was muscular, but slightly on in his years. His hair was black, and he sported a good-sized beard that rested lightly against his neck. The look in the man's brown eyes made Kshtsi worried for Zacyr's safety.

Zacyr paid the man no heed, instead focusing intensely on the string as he continued to make patterns. As the commander got within six feet of Zacyr, he gave Zacyr a disgusted look. "Out of the way"

Kshtsi, Tachine, and even Sarysi stepped off of the path to make room for the soldiers. Although Kshtsi thought that it was perfectly acceptable for the soldiers to have moved, he wasn't going to argue with the order. However, Kshtsi cringed when Zacyr simply stopped right in the middle of the path, glaring at the commander. "And should we choose not?"

A slight smirk appeared on the commander's face as he addressed Zacyr. "Are you trying to start a fight? I don't fight little kids like you."

While at first Kshtsi thought Zacyr was going to argue, Zacyr simply sighed. "You should be part of the circus."

The commander frowned as he asked why, and a cruel smirk appeared on Zacyr's face. "People like to see things that are unusual, and I have to say that I have _never_ seen a horse with two assholes on it before."

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi gasped at that. A good deal of the soldiers chuckled, clearly amused. Of course, their commander was not quite as amused. "Don't get cocky, boy. I am not one you want to cross."

Zacyr smirked cruelly at the man as he opened his mouth. But what happened next got _everyone_ by surprise. The commander's horse looked right at Zacyr's face, and even Kshtsi couldn't help but laugh when the horse sprayed Zacyr's face with spit. Apparently the horse didn't want to be dragged into this conversation.

Zacyr cursed as he wiped his sleeve against his face. "_Fucking jackass! _Ugh, I got some in my _mouth_ you stupid horse! _God_, that's nasty!"

As the soldiers continued to laugh, Zacyr glared viciously at the horse. "I was wrong. Make that an _asshole_ with two assholes! So what do y-"

Kshtsi could only laugh harder when the horse repeated its earlier trick, getting Zacyr to swear again. This time, Sarysi walked towards Zacyr and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Okay Zacyr, enough making friends with the horse."

Zacyr swore harshly, but Sarysi effortlessly dragged Zacyr out of the way of the soldiers. After she did, Kshtsi saw the commander grinning broadly at Zacyr. "You should join the circus, kid. You're a natural clown."

Kshtsi cringed as Zacyr swore again, but this time the commander simply ignored Zacyr. As the soldiers passed, Kshtsi noticed that Zacyr was still fighting to be free of Sarysi's grip, but she held firm. It was only once the soldiers were out of sight that Sarysi abruptly wheeled Zacyr around to face her. "_Are you out of your fucking __**mind?**__ Calm down_!"

Kshtsi saw Zacyr flinch, but he didn't say anything. Sarysi soon let go of Zacyr. While Kshtsi was ready to continue on their way, Tachine suddenly spoke. "Zacyr, what's wrong?"

Zacyr, Kshtsi, and Sarysi all flinched. Tachine didn't let them think about it for too long before she explained. "This just isn't like you, Zacyr. I noticed it yesterday too, but I credited it to the whole 'six-armed demon' thing. You've never been so easily set off by a small event, but yesterday you got angry when you couldn't find supplies for creating more ropes. Also, Xorada mentioned that after you made the oath to never set foot in the village again, you _attacked_ Xorada out of anger. You even mentioned that you didn't know why you had reacted like that."

As Tachine spoke, she walked over to Zacyr. Kshtsi noticed that Tachine was also eyeing Zacyr carefully, like she was concerned for Zacyr. "It wasn't all that noticeable yesterday, but now it's obvious that there's something upsetting you. Just . . . do you want to talk about it?"

Kshtsi could only flinch as Zacyr looked the other way, his eyes focused on some part of the ground near his feet. For a bit of time, Zacyr didn't say a word. It was only when Kshtsi was about to say that Zacyr didn't have to say it when Zacyr suddenly looked up at Tachine, his eyes unreadable. "I . . . I'm worried. I . . . I don't know how to explain it."

Kshtsi gulped, but decided to risk a question. "Just . . . what exactly are you worried about? If it's your lack of sleep or that nightmare you said you keep having-"

Zacyr shook his head. "No. A nightmare's a nightmare, there's nothing special about it. I . . . well . . . yesterday, I felt frustrated. I couldn't figure out why, but I could pin it down to something with my hallucinations. Last night, I think I figured it out."

Kshtsi was shocked when Zacyr looked at him. There was something going on in Zacyr's head, he was clearly nervous. "Do you remember what that one woman said about Lihalune, all the warnings that she gave us?"

Kshtsi nodded, and Zacyr gulped. "Could you list them off?"

Kshtsi again nodded then frowned as he tried to remember. "Let's see here . . . stomach cramps, upset stomach, light-headedness, and a _very_ stern warning to not drink it the day before a full moon."

Both Sarysi and Tachine were listening to them, not saying a word. Zacyr waited for a minute, and Kshtsi concentrated more. Was he forgetting one of the warnings? Let's see here, what else had the woman said? Wait, there was one more! She had also said that Lihalune was . . . oh no.

Kshtsi's eyes opened wide as he looked at Zacyr. How could he have forgotten? It all made sense now. Kshtsi's voice came out as little more than a whisper, and he whispered his answer. "It's addictive."

Zacyr nodded as he looked the other way. "Last night, I was thinking about the hallucinations. Then . . . it was so _abrupt_ . . . I thought to myself that I never had this problem when I was taking Lihalune. I . . . I suddenly began to wonder . . . I-is Lihalune really that bad?"

Kshtsi felt an ice-cold chill race down his spine. He no longer had any doubt that Zacyr was addicted to Lihalune. Zacyr's short temper was being caused by the war going on in Zacyr's head. He wanted more Lihalune, but he also _knew_ he was addicted to it, so he was trying to force himself to stop thinking about it.

Sarysi surprised Kshtsi when she spoke, her voice tender. "That explains a lot. Your lack of sleep, you being much more irritable than normal . . . Zacyr, you're going through withdrawal."

For a bit of time, no one spoke. Kshtsi couldn't believe it. He had completely forgotten that Lihalune was addictive. It had been working, so he had just stopped worrying about it. Now though . . .

Sarysi abruptly spoke, getting Kshtsi to flinch. "Zacyr, it would take a good deal of the pressure off of your mind if you were taking something else to keep from seeing those hallucinations. Are you still adamant on your claim that you will never drink the potion the one man showed to us that you claimed 'tasted like bat guano'?"

Zacyr sighed as he looked to the side. "I . . . if it's only once a week, then . . . I guess so. Still, we don't know how far the next town is and . . . and . . ."

Zacyr trailed off, and Kshtsi was shocked to see Sarysi holding a vial of a strange maroon-colored liquid. "Part of the reason I didn't want you going back into that shop was that I swiped this before I came outside."

Kshtsi sighed as Sarysi handed Zacyr the vial. Zacyr looked rather nervous as he took the cork off of the vial, and almost immediately Kshtsi's nostrils were assaulted with such an offensive odor that it made his eyes water. Zacyr sighed before putting the vial to his lips, and Kshtsi shuddered as the syrup-like potion entered Zacyr's mouth.

From the instant he put the vial to his mouth, it was clear that Zacyr was fighting to keep from throwing up. If that potion tasted _half_ as bad as it smelled then Kshtsi couldn't blame Zacyr for having refused to drink the potion. Eventually it was over, and Zacyr tossed the vial into the grassy plains as Sarysi smiled. "There, that wasn't so bad right?"

Zacyr responded by walking right up to Sarysi and letting out a large breath directly at her face. Sarysi immediately gagged and covered her nose. "_Oh you ASSHOLE!_ Oh, that _reeks_!"

Zacyr nodded, looking rather queasy. "It tastes worse and . . . _oh god there's an aftertaste! And it's even __**worse**__!_"

As Zacyr clearly tried to deal with his queasy stomach, Kshtsi sighed. "Alright, it's time to get a move on again."

Soon the group was walking back down the path, Zacyr now complaining about the aftertaste of the potion. Eventually, Tachine looked at Zacyr with amusement. "By the way, how do you know what bat guano tastes like?"

Zacyr froze, his face turning bright-red. "Uh . . . it took a bit of dumb luck. I thought I saw a bat above me, so I looked up, and I just happened to have my mouth open as the bat . . . I think you can fill in the blanks."

Tachine chuckled as she nodded, and soon the excitement had died down. Quite a few hours later, they all were surprised when a large mountain range came into sight. While they were headed in that general direction, by the time night came they didn't seem to be any closer.

As the group got a meal ready, Kshtsi noticed that Tachine and Zacyr were staying near each other, and that they seemed to be doing something. Eventually, he shrugged. It was actually nice to see that the two of them were working on keeping their friendship strong.

Once they were done with supper, everyone got ready for a night in the plains. Kshtsi waited for a bit, pretending that he was asleep. It took a while, but eventually everyone else went to sleep. After Kshtsi was certain everyone was asleep, he got up and walked a little distance away. He needed some time to think about what he wanted to do.

He still hadn't gotten any information concerning his parent's reactions to his disappearance, and he hadn't run into anyone that recognized him. But that wasn't really that upsetting to him. Kshtsi still had a question he wanted answered, and he knew no one else could answer it. How the _devil_ had he gotten here? Even now, after how long they had been traveling, Kshtsi was still _weeks_ away from home. How had he gotten all the way here? Had the trip really been that far away from home?

Still . . . the more Kshtsi thought about it, the more he really didn't want to go back to his old life. Did his parents even _care_ that he was gone? Kshtsi just didn't know. And even if his parent's _did_ care, there was still a problem. Kshtsi was already friends now with Zacyr, Tachine, and now even Sarysi. If he went home and his parents didn't want him to leave . . . Kshtsi would be separated from his new friends.

Kshtsi sighed. This was so difficult to figure out. If he had really known his parents well enough, he would probably not have to worry so much. But of course, he _had_ to be a loner. He knew more about his servant boy than he knew about his parents.

"Something up?"

Kshtsi leapt to his feet in shock as he realized Sarysi was still up. He turned around, and saw her eyeing him curiously. "You know, we never get the chance to talk. What's up?"

Kshtsi gulped, trying to figure out whether he should say it. Eventually though, he sighed. "N-nothing."

While Sarysi raised an eyebrow, she didn't push it. As Sarysi soon lied down again, Kshtsi decided that all he could do for now was to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Hmm, it seems that both Zacyr and Kshtsi still have their own internal issues to solve. And what is this about a mountain range?<p>

I could edit this plot all day and _still_ not believe it's ready. I'll try to make the updates a little quicker, but I don't think I can make any promises.


	36. Passing the Time

__Dreams, no matter what causes them, are often foolish. Sometimes the things that shouldn't make sense do, or sometimes the reality is distorted. But no matter how foolish the dream . . . could there be a reason someone's having them?

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><p><em>What happened? I see blood . . . everywhere. I'm in a house, the boards creek ominously with every step. Images are running through my head . . . I remember a man screaming, screaming as . . . something attacked him. I remember a woman holding a bow and arrow. I remember . . . something attacked her? Yes, that's it. Why is there an arrow protruding from <em>_**my**__ side then? Ugh, my head is __**throbbing**__ . . . why are my hands covered in blood?_

_I limp through the house, my leg not working well. Something happened here, something bad. As I walk past my bedroom . . . wait, how did I get out of my bedroom? Whatever. My father is there. He no longer has a head on his shoulders, something decapitated him._

_But why was he here? He was kicked out years ago, right? I suddenly hear a gasp from the living room, and I turn to see the woman there. She's looking at me, her eyes wild with fear. Isn't she my mother? Why does she fear me?_

"_**Do you know what you are?"**_

_I turn to find the source of the voice and see a shadow coming from the bathroom. The light in there flickers for a moment, and the shadow is gone. I gulp as I head towards it, wondering . . . what happened?_

"_**You are not my enemy."**_

"_Who's there?"_

_I gulped as I entered the bathroom. The light flickers again, and I see something in the mirror, out of the corner of my eye. But as I turn to face the mirror, the thing disappears._

"_**You are not a threat to me."**_

_I walk over to the mirror, looking at myself. My silvery hair is a mess, and there's a strange look in my red eyes that I can't understand._

"_**You"**_

_The lights flicker, and for just a moment I see the reflection of a strange, shadowy creature behind me. I quickly turn around, but it's gone._

"_**Are"**_

_Where do I know that voice from? Why is it so familiar? "Do I know you? Who are you? I am what?"_

_The lights flicker again, and I quickly turn around to face the mirror. I pale as I see that my reflection is no longer acting like me. It has an evil smile, and it places a hand on its side of the glass as it opens its mouth._

"_**MY"**_

_That's it. It's __**my**__ voice! But what's going on? What . . . oh god. My reflection's changing, four spider-legs grow out from its sides as its hands and feet quickly change as well. Its waist shrinks down to almost nothing, and its abdomen grows. In mere moments, my reflection is a massive spider! The spider grins as one long, spindly leg reaches out from the mirror._

"_**PREY!"**_

_The leg catches the back of my neck, and soon I'm flying towards the mirror as the spider's mouth opens wide. Everything goes black, and I hear a disgusting crunch._

Zacyr bolted upright, not realizing until too late that Sarysi was leaning over him. A searing pain shot through Zacyr's skull as he unintentionally butted heads with Sarysi, and the two of them swore as they both put hands to their heads. "_Oh __**damn it**__ that hurt__**!**_"

For a bit, Zacyr couldn't think through the headache. He looked up, and was blinded by the sun. Wait, the sun? Zacyr forced his eyes open and looked around. He was surprised to realize it was morning. "Morning already?"

He was surprised to see Tachine and Kshtsi both up, looking rather amused as Zacyr rubbed his head. "Well, you look like you're feeling better. Maybe yesterday was the worst of the withdrawal."

Zacyr yawned as he got up, shocked when he realized his balance was shot. At least he _was_ shocked until he remembered how he and Sarysi had put their heads together . . . ugh, his head was _still_ throbbing. He looked up and almost grinned when he saw Sarysi wasn't faring much better. The two of them stumbled around for a little bit before they recuperated, then Sarysi grinned at Zacyr.

"Okay, lesson learned. The sleeping beauty technique doesn't work when the person bolts upright. And here I thought you liked me."

Zacyr didn't even see the little gleam in Sarysi's eyes when he immediately spoke. "Of course I do, it's just-"

When Zacyr suddenly realized Sarysi was joking, well . . . Zacyr couldn't have blushed more if he tried. Sarysi burst out laughing at Zacyr's immediate defensive reaction, and both Kshtsi and Tachine chuckled. After a few more shenanigans, the group packed up and continued their journey through the plains.

Not much really happened that day. Even though they could still see the mountains in the distance, they never seemed to get much closer. Admittedly, that may have been because the group was in a much more light-hearted mood from yesterday. Overall Zacyr had to say that it was a good day.

When it came time for supper, both Zacyr and Tachine went a bit away from the other two and Tachine continued where they had left off, having Zacyr spell different words in the dirt. Zacyr had fun, and Tachine made sure to choose words that were not too difficult but not too easy. Zacyr still had trouble remembering which vowel had which shape, and his A's often looked like O's because of it.

The last word Tachine had Zacyr write was his name. Zacyr grinned when he put 'acyr' in the dirt. Tachine smiled as she told Zacyr he had forgotten to capitalize the A, but Zacyr could only blush as he put a large Z in front of the word, _correctly_ spelling his name. Tachine seemed really surprised as Zacyr explained how his name started with a silent Z, but before the two of them could talk about it much Kshtsi and Sarysi called them over.

As they always did, Kshtsi and Sarysi pestered them over what they had been doing. Sarysi even got up and went over to the spot, but Zacyr had been careful to wipe the dirt clean to cover up the words he had written. Both Tachine and Zacyr wanted to keep it a surprise as long as they could, if only to tease both Kshtsi and Sarysi.

Soon the group was done eating (having found a few prairie dogs earlier and finding that they tasted rather nice), and they got ready to sleep again. By this time, Zacyr had quite forgotten about his earlier nightmare, and almost the instant he lied down he was out like a light.

_I cried at mother's side, clinging to her as I still saw the mice biting me. Mother gently held me as I begged her to be my eyes, to tell me what was real and what was not. I just couldn't believe it, how could those mice have been __**real?**_

"_**SIDAS!**__"_

_I yelped at the word mother bellowed at my father. Even my father, who never appeared nervous before, looked unsettled by the clear rage in my mother's voice. "I can explain, it's all a misunderstanding!"_

"_**No!**__ There is __**no**__ misunderstanding here, you __**fucker!**__ Do you know what you just did? You took all of Zacyr's confidence, and you just __**destroyed**__ it! I __**trusted**__ you to keep an eye on him while I was gone, how could you do that to your own __**son?**__ You know what, you fucker? I won't let you __**ever**__ have a child again!"_

_Mother gently pried me off of her, and I was shocked when in one fluid motion she grabbed her bow off of her back, nocked an arrow, and fired. I could only shiver as the arrow embedded itself into father's groin. Dad screamed in pain, and mother soon smiled down at me. "Alright, I still want to see the world. But seeing as your __**father**__ is otherwise occupied, how about you come with me?"_

_I eagerly nodded, but shivered when I saw her covered with mice. Were they real?_

"_No, it's a hallucination."_

_I smiled up at mother. She could always tell when I was seeing something. Soon the two of us walked out of the village, my father's curses the only sound for miles._

Zacyr woke up when he felt a nibble at his ear. While he tried to ignore it, Real surprised Zacyr by biting down hard. The bite woke Zacyr up immediately, although it was forgotten about when Zacyr heard padded paws not two feet away from him. Zacyr immediately opened his eyes and located the source of the noise.

He couldn't believe it. A puma had infiltrated the 'camp'. He cautiously eyed it, noticing that he could count every rib on the puma. Hunger was the driving factor here. Zacyr immediately got to his feet. This puma didn't look all that old, so it may have been attempting to see if they were prey. The puma immediately looked at Zacyr, and the two of them exchanged glares. A few seconds seemed to pass, and Zacyr's worries were confirmed. The puma wasn't backing down, it was too hungry to flee from a potential meal.

Zacyr soon located where Sarysi was sleeping, and slowly brought a hand up to his pack. The intention was to grab out a long length of rope, which he would then aim to hit Sarysi awake with. She would be a much better combatant than Zacyr would, and he wasn't afraid to admit that he wasn't willing to take on a wild animal by himself. Unfortunately, the puma didn't appear to approve of Zacyr's hastily-made plan, and charged. Zacyr quickly tried to get his shirt off, so his extra arms could be used, but the puma was faster.

Zacyr was knocked to the ground by the puma's lunge, the puma landing neatly on top of him. Instinct allowed Zacyr to get his normal pair of arms up as the puma attempted to bite, and soon Zacyr was attempting to push the hungry puma's teeth away from his neck. He wanted to use his extra arms, but they were trapped within the shirt and not strong enough to push the puma off of him.

Zacyr and the puma both grunted with effort as they fought for the upper hand, and soon a startled shriek alerted Zacyr to the fact that Tachine had woken up as well. To Zacyr's surprise and relief, the puma noticed as well. Deciding that it had already lost the fight, the puma leapt off of Zacyr and soon dashed away from the group, vanishing as fast as it had appeared.

Zacyr soon found himself surrounded by his concerned group members, explaining how Real had woke him up and how Zacyr had spotted the puma. It took a while for the group to fall asleep, but Zacyr was surprised and touched when Sarysi chose to sleep quite a bit closer to Zacyr.

* * *

><p>Aww, young love.<p>

Now, what's the point of this chapter? Just passing the time. As I said in a MUCH earlier chapter, I dislike time-skips. Don't worry, the plot will get moving again soon.


	37. Hell Or High Water

Ah, Rudeg. She's a spit-fire when she wants to be. But how did she get on the team in the first place? Why does Kesi hang around her?

Maybe there's more to Rudeg than meets the eye . . . _maybe_.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Thief!"<strong>_

_I cringed as I heard footsteps behind me. I had been spotted! I held the bag of bread closer to me as I picked up my own pace. I ran for a while, the footfalls never seeming to get any farther away. Eventually I reached an alleyway and immediately ran into the alleyway._

_I realized my mistake too late. __**It was a dead-end!**__ I had no time to waste, any second now the stall owner was going to walk into this alleyway! Okay, there are a large number of boxes in the corner there. Maybe if I climb them, I can get to the roofs!_

"_Over there!"_

_I cringed as I heard the footsteps get closer. I had to hurry! I sprinted towards the boxes and immediately began climbing them, desperately trying to get to the rooftop. For just a moment, it looks like I may get away. But as one of my hands touches the rooftop I feel a large, rough hand grab the back of my shirt and yank me right off of the boxes._

_The man tosses me to the ground and some of the bread tumbles out of the bag. When I try to grab it someone stomps on my hand, getting me to scream out in pain. Still I held the bag tightly to my chest, trying desperately to keep at least __**one**__ piece of bread. But as I got up - the person's foot having gotten off of my arm - strong arms soon grab the bag. There's no way I'm going to be able to keep him from taking the bag! "Please no! I haven't eaten in __**days**__, I need __**food! PLEASE!**__"_

_All my cries earned me was a slap to the face. As the bag was taken out of my hands, a hand went around my throat and I was hoisted into the air. I gulped as I looked at the man holding me, he was the scariest looking person I had ever seen before. The man nodded to another person, the other person being the second-scariest looking person I had ever seen before, and that one looked at a thin man who stood at the entrance to the alleyway. "How do you want him punished?"_

_The thin man grinned cruelly as he turned to leave. "He doesn't leave this alleyway alive."_

_I paled as the two men chuckled, and soon I was flying towards the boxes. When I slammed into the stacks of boxes, they fell over, and soon I was covered in heavy crates. Normally it would have taken me minutes to get out, or else I may even have needed help from someone else, but fear is a powerful motivator. The boxes almost seemed to move of their own accord as I got up. I shivered in fear as the two scary men slowly walked closer, cruel smiles on their faces._

_I gulped, there was no choice. I immediately turned around and got on all fours. "Stay back!"_

_The men began to laugh, but the laughter immediately died down as I transformed. In mere moments I was a giant crested porcupine, and I immediately spread out my quills. I inwardly sighed in relief when I heard one of the men panic. "__**OH GOD HE'S A PORCUPINE +ANIMA! RUN BEFORE HE FIRES HIS QUILLS AT US!**__"_

_I heard one man run away, clearly in a panic. But I was surprised when the other one simply shook his head. "Fires his . . . you __**dumbass**__, a porcupine __**can't**__ fire their quills. Thank __**god**__ for that. Alright, let's see here . . . how to kill a porcup-__**ugh!**__"_

_I flinched as I heard a body hit the ground. I wanted to know what was going on, but I couldn't look behind myself unless I bundled my quills again. There was no way to tell if this was just a trick, and that they __**wanted**__ me to lower my quills!_

_It was only when I heard a girl's chuckle that my curiosity overpowered my fear. I lowered my quills, and the instant I saw the girl I turned back to my human form. The girl had __**really**__ dark skin, to the point that it was almost pitch-black. Her white hair was parted down her back, and combined with the large skunk tail that protruded from her clothing, made it obvious that she was a skunk +Anima._

_At her feet was the man, now bleeding from a wound on the back of his head. Even though I saw the girl holding a bloodied dagger . . . she had just saved my life. I thanked her, and she asked if I had anywhere to go. When I told her no, she delighted me by telling me I could go with her._

When morning came, Kesi sleepily opened his eyes. Well, that was a nice memory. That had been years ago, that was how he and Rudeg became friends. So much had happened through the years, but the two of them remained friends.

Kesi smiled when he saw that Rudeg was up, her hands together in prayer as she prayed to her gods. Kesi soon joined her, getting Rudeg to smile. "Wise one, we thank you for this day. May you fill our day with fortune, may you allow us to bring our wrath upon our enemies. Wise one, give us the strength to do what we alone cannot."

Both Rudeg and Kesi then tapped their +Anima mark, signifying the end of the prayer. Once it was over, Rudeg smiled at Kesi. "Good morning, Kesi. Beautiful day so far."

Kesi smiled as he nodded. The two of them spent some time making light conversation. Kesi had long since learned what topics would get Rudeg's scary side to appear, but so long as he didn't bring up one of those topics Rudeg was a lot of fun to talk too.

The two of them talked about many things, but eventually Edreg and Dancing Shadow got up as well. Kesi cringed as Edreg immediately approached one of the 'bad' topics. "You know, you two _could_ wake us up so we could get on the road sooner. There's no _telling_ how far behind Zacyr we are now."

Rudeg soon confirmed it with a cruel smile. Kesi cringed as Rudeg began to speak, using her more menacing voice. "Patience, Edreg. First of all, we could always get a _slave_ that would wake us up sooner. Maybe if we got one, you'd realize just how useful one with six arms could have. You know, one that has silver hair that stands out in the forest. That way, if they try to escape it wouldn't be hard to find them. The slave could even have red eyes to appear intimidating to whatever enemies we get. Rope is always a good item to have, so if the slave could make rope for us that would be a bonus. Maybe one that's male, since men tend to be known for brawn instead of brains. I'm just throwing out suggestions on what would make a good slave, not actually-"

Kesi almost grinned as Edreg snarled at Rudeg. "_**I know who you are talking about!**_ And the answer is _no!_ We are _killing_ him, and that is _final!_"

Rudeg frowned at Edreg, but didn't say anything. Soon the group was on the move, and Kesi was surprised when Edreg let Rudeg lead. It was only when Edreg began whispering to Kesi that Kesi realized _why_ Edreg was letting Rudeg lead the group down the path. Well, the _side_ of the path at least. Rudeg still hated walking down the path. "_Kesi, how do you do it?_"

Kesi cocked his head, getting Edreg to sigh. "_How do you talk to her? She's fucking __**crazy!**_"

Kesi simply smiled. "_She and I have been friends for a while, so we understand each other well. You just have to know what subjects __**not**__ to bring up. She truly __**does**__ believe she's doing the right thing, and won't be persuaded otherwise._"

Edreg shuddered, but didn't ask anything more. Kesi himself didn't push the issue, mainly because he preferred to be silent. For quite some time, the group walked in silence. Kesi was about to ask Rudeg a question when a shadow suddenly passed over him, getting him to look up.

There was a crow flying above them. No, that wasn't right. Was that . . . "Hey Rudeg?"

He heard Rudeg give a 'hmm?', so he nodded up to the sky. "Is that a +Anima?"

That got everyone's attention. They all watched as the +Anima flew off into the distance, soon surprising them when it collided with a _huge_ kite. Kesi was worried for the safety of the crow +Anima, but Edreg just wrote it off and had the group continue on their way.

A lot of time passed before they finally left the plains. Kesi was really surprised to find that the mountain was really close to the plains, and by the time that they finally stopped for a rest. As they did, Kesi noticed Rudeg looking up at the sky. "It's going to rain, pretty badly too. Should we find cover or should we just tough it out?"

Kesi looked over at Edreg, who looked to be in thought. "Tough it out. I'm not afraid of a little water."

Rudeg nodded, looking as if she approved of Edreg's answer. "Alright. Should we find food then?"

Edreg nodded. "Rudeg, berries. Kesi, fish. Dancing Shadow and I will find live game. If anyone finds Zacyr, he's mine . . . _actually_ Rudeg, how about you go with Kesi?"

Rudeg frowned, but didn't argue with it. Soon Kesi and Rudeg were traveling together through the forest, and Rudeg lightly cursed. "_Damn it_, how stupid does he think I am? This is only being done because he's afraid I'll get to Zacyr before he can!"

Kesi lightly smiled at Rudeg's anger. "I find it strange that someone so dead-set on killing his opponent still seems to care for his opponent's peace of mind. I wonder . . . if push comes to shove, would he actually be able to _live_ with himself if he killed Zacyr?"

Rudeg grinned at Kesi. "Edreg may be a pansy sometimes, but to be fair he hasn't been a +Anima for as long as we have. I think he would live just fine. Still, that's kind of what I'm worried about. I hate leaving Edreg out of my sight because I'm worried he _will_ get his 'revenge'. It's a hollow victory if all that's left of your opponent is a corpse."

Both Kesi and Rudeg looked up as rain began to fall. "Huh, faster than I thought it would show up."

Kesi nodded. However, the two of them focused when they saw a small stream not too far off in the distance. The stream was rather close to the mountain, although it ran perpendicular to it at this point. Both Kesi and Rudeg went over to the stream, and after Kesi went into his +Anima form so Rudeg could pluck off a few quills, the two of them got ready to fish. When Kesi saw a large silhouette underwater, he immediately aimed for it. He could only grin as he felt the quill hit the target, but he was surprised when the quill was yanked right out of his hands.

The silhouette came over by the shore, and Kesi was both shocked and horrified as he saw the one guy from Zacyr's team come out of the water, Kesi's quill embedded in his left leg. "Why . . . _ouch! _Why did you do that?"

Kesi could only blush as he quickly pulled the quill out of the boy's leg. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was a person! I just saw a large silhouette and aimed for it! I thought it was some huge fish or something!"

The boy looked rather surprised, but Rudeg spoke up. "Why the _hell_ were you underwater? Forget that you can't breathe underwater or something?"

The boy grinned as jellyfish tentacles sprouted from his waist. "I can, actually. These tentacles come in handy when I'm fishing. Now if you'll ex-"

Kesi was surprised when Rudeg aimed the quill at the boy's face. "Kshtsi, was it? I don't normally use +Anima as hostages, but I think a hostage situation will get us a favorable position. But first, do you know where that six-armed human is?"

"What a coincidence"

Kesi paled as he saw the tips of a scorpion claw appear, one on his right and one on his left. As the claw came to rest on his neck, he saw Rudeg's eyes open wide. "_**NO NOT KESI! DON'T!**_ You want me to stop threatening Kshtsi? Okay, I'll stop! Just don't hurt Kesi!"

Kesi felt Sarysi's claw stiffen for a moment, but as Rudeg dropped the quill Kesi felt Sarysi's claw slip away from his neck. "Got a soft spot for this kid here? I'm surprised, I had no idea you had a heart. Now get the _fuck _out of here."

Rudeg and Kesi nodded at each other, and were about to take off when they heard a growl. "_No one_ threatens Kesi, not even you!"

Kesi turned around just in time to see Sarysi parry a blow from an enraged Edreg. The two groups stepped away from each other, and just as Kesi noticed that they had the numerical advantage the pretty girl in Zacyr's group appeared, standing next to Sarysi and Kshtsi.

"_**GO AWAY!**_"

Everyone jumped as they looked around, trying to find the source of the cry.

"_**GO FLY AWAY WITH THOSE WINGS!**_"

Oh! Okay, whoever it was they didn't appear to be yelling at them. The groups resumed their fighting stances again, but yet again stopped when they heard voices approaching.

"So you make your own rope? Fascinating. How does the rope get that white shine?"

"I use special fibers that are found only in a special forest plant. It resembles a flower, but has a few long strands that come from the middle of the petal that work amazingly for rope. What is more-_huh?_"

Kesi almost smiled as both Zacyr and Dancing Shadow walked out of the trees, clearly surprised to see the two groups there. Rudeg and Edreg both spoke at the same time. "_Stop making friends with the enemy, Dancing Shadow!_"

Kesi watched as Rudeg reached down to grab the quill off of the ground. Sarysi moved so fast . . . Kesi paled as Sarysi smashed her claws against Rudeg's side, sending her flying towards Dancing Shadow and Zacyr. Dancing Shadow evaded Rudeg's body, but Zacyr didn't. Rudeg and Zacyr were sent into a tumble by the force of the hit. The two of them slammed their heads against a tree, their now-unconscious forms falling into a tangled heap.

Kesi saw Edreg attempt to charge over towards where the two of them had landed, but Sarysi caught him and put him into a painful-looking hold. "I will _not_ let you get near him!"

"_**KSHTSI, LOOK OUT!**_"

Kesi flinched at Tachine's voice, and before he could turn to see what caused the outburst Kshtsi's body slammed into Kesi. Kesi stumbled backwards from the hit, and both he and Kshtsi fell into the river. Kshtsi and Kesi tried to get back out, but they both paled as Mother Nature unleashed its fury.

A _huge_ surge of water came down the side of the mountain, roaring its rage as it quickly swallowed up everything in its path. Kesi and Kshtsi were the only two that were outside of its path, and it was so sudden . . . there was no way their groups had gotten out of the way in time. Before Kesi could try to think through this, his head hit something hard and everything went black.

* * *

><p>Well.<p>

What the hell just happened? Here, let me explain.

This happens during volume 3, specifically during the Wings of the Wind part. They saw Cooro fly into Shad's kite, then later they heard Shad shout at Cooro to go away. Not long afterwards, the very same surge of water that destroyed the path down the mountain came roaring down the mountain, engulfing almost everyone.

Will they all get out alive? Will Zacyr's group (and possibly Edreg's) FINALLY interact with Cooro's group? Find out in the next chapter!


	38. Making Friends

The groups have been separated! The massive body of water continues to charge through the forest, will the group members survive?

* * *

><p>This was bad. All Dancing Shadow could hear was the roar of the water, all he could see was Mother Nature's wrath. Had Mother Nature decided she had had enough of their constant bickering? This was not how Dancing Shadow wanted to go, he was supposed to go in the glory of battle. That was his destiny!<p>

Dancing Shadow forced himself to break through the surface of the water. When he saw a low-hanging tree branch he took his chance, grabbing onto the branch and using the momentum from the water to swing himself up to the branch. He sighed in relief when the branch held his weight. Dancing Shadow had escaped the surge of water.

But as Dancing Shadow looked at the surge, he was shocked to see Tachine. She had apparently tried the same thing Dancing Shadow had done, but she didn't appear to have the upper body strength to pull herself onto the branch. She was going to lose her grip if something didn't intervene!

It never occurred to Dancing Shadow that he and Tachine were from different groups. All that he thought about was the fact that Tachine needed help. He leapt from branch to branch until he was close to her. He frowned as he tried to think this through. Tachine's branch wouldn't hold both of them, so Dancing Shadow couldn't just leap onto that branch and pull Tachine up. He'd need to find a branch that was strong enough to hold both of them up, or else . . .

Soon Tachine's grip failed her. Dancing Shadow cringed as Tachine became little more than another piece of debris, unable to stop the surge of water as it tried to swallow her up. Dancing Shadow looked around frantically, trying to find a way to allow Tachine to be freed of the water's cruel embrace. When Dancing Shadow saw the surge forcing Tachine towards a massive tree he immediately leapt from branch to branch, desperate to reach the tree before Tachine did. If he could get there first, there were many branches _just_ out of Tachine's reach that could easily hold their weight.

Fortunately for Dancing Shadow, he knew how to gain the most speed possible. He had always been trained to be fast, and this was a great time to put that training to the test. He reached the tree quickly, always keeping Tachine in sight. When she was just about to pass underneath one of the branches Dancing Shadow latched onto that branch with his legs and reached down towards the water, grabbing for Tachine's hand.

Dancing Shadow didn't miss a beat when he felt Tachine's hand grab onto his own. Dancing Shadow swung her up to the branch, and Tachine almost immediately sat down on the branch herself. As Dancing Shadow used his own flexibility to get back to a sitting position himself he saw Tachine catching her breath. She was just as soaked as Dancing Shadow was, but at least the two of them were alive.

Dancing Shadow sighed as he looked back at the water. The water was beginning to lose strength now, but as Dancing Shadow looked up at the sky he could see that it was still pouring. "This surge of water will remain so long as the rain continues to fuel it."

Dancing Shadow couldn't help but smile when Tachine looked at him with shock. "Rain can't do this! Just _look_ at this area! The amount of water here is _huge!_"

Dancing Shadow nodded. "Yes. But you must remember that we are near a mountainous area. The water travels down the mountain in ever-growing streams. Have you noticed how few of the trees are affected by it?"

Tachine nodded, and Dancing Shadow sighed. "This isn't a bizarre occurrence here. It hits so few trees because no trees _can_ grow in the pathway, for they would be uprooted by these flash floods. This is clearly one of the stronger floods, but even so the few trees within its path, such as the one we are currently on, appear to be more than capable of withstanding the assault. We must wait until the rain stops before we go look for our friends."

Dancing Shadow watched Tachine's reaction carefully. She was clearly upset. "Kshtsi could survive this, or at least he could breathe underwater. But what about Sarysi, what about Zacyr?"

Dancing Shadow sighed again. "I believe Kesi and Kshtsi were out of range of the surge. Sarysi's tough, and I must admit that Zacyr's just as tough as Sarysi is. They shall be fine."

Tachine still looked nervous, but Dancing Shadow smiled at her. "Do not be alarmed. You would be surprised what one person can live through."

Tachine did not seem convinced, but she also seemed rather appreciative. Dancing Shadow sighed as he looked back at the water, noticing that it had gone down by a good deal. It could still be a long wait at this point.

(_**Kshtsi**_)

Kshtsi sighed in exhaustion as he looked towards the stream. That had been insane. How could such a small stream have grown so powerful? Kesi had been knocked unconscious at some point in their wild ride, and Kshtsi hadn't had the heart to leave Kesi in such a dangerous position. As such, he had pulled Kesi out of the stream the first chance he had gotten. Now he was trying to pull Kesi's limp body over to the trees, but the wound on Kshtsi's leg kept aggravating him.

He was worried. The stream had started out small, but it seemed to be growing larger by the second. The water from the rain and that huge flash flood must have been fueling the stream for it to be so strong now. It took a lot of work, but eventually Kshtsi managed to drag Kesi's body over to the trees. They should be safe here, the trees themselves stood as a marker to how large the stream could get.

Kshtsi sighed in relief as he sat down. He was _exhausted_. A single question was nagging Kshtsi mercilessly. Could a person survive being swallowed up by a flash flood? He just didn't know the answer, and the only thing stopping him from heading back towards the place the groups had gotten washed away was the fact that he doubted the water was gone yet.

"Oh, my _head_"

Kshtsi turned around to see Kesi finally getting up, gently rubbing his head. Kshtsi greeted him before going back to watching the stream. There was no longer any doubt, it was _definitely_ growing now. He was surprised when Kesi sat down next to him, smiling at Kshtsi. "Thank you."

Kshtsi smiled back. "I couldn't just leave you there to drown."

Kesi beamed at Kshtsi, although the smile was wiped off of Kesi's face when he saw the blood trickling down Kshtsi's leg. "Oh yeah . . . look, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't . . . I uh . . ."

Kshtsi smiled back at Kesi. "Don't worry about it. I doubt that most people 'fish' by going underwater and just staying there. Kind of embarrassing, there wasn't even _fish_ in that stream."

Kesi nodded, and soon the two of them went back to watching the stream. For a while, neither of them spoke. If Kshtsi had really been paying attention, he may have noticed that he was dozing off. But soon, he ended up falling asleep.

(_**Edreg**_)

Edreg's head was _killing_ him. What . . . what had just happened? Why was it so hard to breathe? Why-_hey!_

The instant Edreg realized that there was a claw around his throat, he woke up immediately. The first thing he noticed was that Sarysi was in front of him, a look of annoyance on her face as her claws attempted to close. The second thing Edreg noticed was that it was apparently morning now, considering the sun was up in the sky.

"_Damn it! Why can't I decapitate you?_"

Edreg let out a weak growl as he lifted his own clawed hands, and Sarysi immediately let go and put distance between the two of them. Edreg gasped as his brain finally flooded with oxygen, and for a moment he couldn't do more than gulp in large amounts of air. Once he had finally replenished his supply, he glared at Sarysi.

"You can't cut my skin, you bitch! I've got the same tough skin that a honey badger does!"

Edreg was surprised when Sarysi sighed in relief. "And here I thought I was losing my touch."

It was only now that the immediate threat was gone that Edreg looked around, completely astounded to find himself and Sarysi in the plains. "What . . . what happened? How . . . but we were in the forest!"

Sarysi laughed at Edreg, getting him to snarl at her. Undaunted, Sarysi gave her response. "Well, there was this whole thing where we all got assaulted by a HUGE amount of water. Could that have ANYTHING to do with the fact that we are not in the same position as we had been before?"

Edreg growled at Sarysi, how _dare_ she talk to him like that? "What I'm _saying_ is that we were pretty far in the forest, and now we're actually back by the plains! How the hell did we travel _this_ far?"

Edreg was just about ready to try to tear out Sarysi's throat when she smirked at him. "Same response as before. While it's quite some distance, it's not a _ridiculous_ amount. Now, the question is this. Do I force you to come with me to find our groups, or do I just kill you?"

Edreg snarled at Sarysi, honing his claws as he got into a fighting position. "I will _never_ go with you! _You murdered Cody!_"

Sarysi simply raised an eyebrow, and Edreg snarled again. "Don't you _dare_ tell me that you don't remember! Rudeg told me all about it! You _decapitated _him!"

Edreg felt his blood boil as Sarysi pretended to go into thought about it. "Let's see here . . . I've decapitated a _lot_ of people, Edreg. You're going to have to be more specific."

Edreg charged at Sarysi. "_You don't even remember him? __**I'll tear you apart!**_"

Sarysi seemed surprised at Edreg's anger, but as Edreg got close Sarysi immediately held him still, and Edreg couldn't believe it when Sarysi's stinger managed to force its way through his skin. Edreg tried hard to break free, but Sarysi's grip was firm as her venom began to flow. Sarysi grinned demonically when her venom stopped flowing, and she released her grip on Edreg. Edreg immediately attempted a strike. He only had _seconds_ to act before he'd be paralyzed!

Sarysi moved fast, faster than Edreg thought she could. Edreg was soon flying backwards, trying to figure out how and where Sarysi had hit him. He tumbled to a stop, but immediately got to his feet. He could already feel the venom's effects, he still had to hurry! But it was too late. Edreg tried to run over to Sarysi, but his body refused to move. He couldn't feel his legs, and soon fell to the ground. In just a little bit, he couldn't feel his body at all.

"Edreg, now you listen to me!"

Edreg was yanked up into the air, and forced to look Sarysi in the eye. He gulped as he realized how enraged Sarysi was. Sarysi spoke, her voice filled with even more venom than she had put into Edreg. "I was forced into the +Anima fight ring when I was _seven_. I had to kill a +Anima a day, and on quite a few of those days I was forced to fight MORE than one. I've killed _thousands_ of +Anima. Oh, and guess what? Do you know what got me caught? My _brother_."

Edreg would have flinched if he had any feeling in his face. Sarysi actually had a few tears coming down from her eyes as she spoke. "He spoke with them, and manipulated me into a trap. They captured me, but do you know what I did? I killed him. I killed my own brother. He was the twenty-first life I had taken. This was on my seventh birthday. Those twenty lives I had to take were _before_ that day!"

Edreg couldn't believe it. Sarysi had killed twenty people when she was _six?_

"So _**Edreg**_"

Edreg cringed, at least as good as he could, when Sarysi forced his face close to hers. "You think it's a good idea to come up to me and tell me to remember one of the people I killed? You want to know why I'm so desensitized to your _pathetic_ tantrums? I've heard it all before. In the +Anima fight ring, they threw new +Anima at me all the time. Each and every one of them pleaded for their life. Some called me a monster for doing what I had to do. Some called me a demon. Others simply screamed. Each and every one of them died. Death is an old friend of mine Edreg. No one will change that, _especially not a whiny, simpering, manipulative, and __**spoiled BRAT like you!**__"_

Edreg could feel the sweat pouring down his face. Sarysi only grinned as she dropped Edreg, who fell to the ground limp. Edreg didn't say a word - not like he could anyways - when Sarysi grabbed him by the leg and began dragging him towards the forest. "We will look for our groups, and I will give you back to them. If you complain about me killing your chameleon +Anima friend _one more god-damn time_, I'll make you join him!"

Edreg gulped as Sarysi dragged him into the forest. This was going to be a _long _search.

* * *

><p>These are in chronological order, btw. Dancing Shadow and Tachine's part was mere <em>moments<em> after the incident. Kshtsi and Kesi's part was a few hours after. Edreg and Sarysi were the next morning, when the rain had stopped.

So begins the search for each group member! Perhaps the pairs shall learn more about each other as they do?


	39. Shooting the Breeze

So I was re-reading a bit of my story, and I'm shocked at how quickly the whole 'six-arms mystery' seemed to just fade away from the spotlight. Since Zacyr is otherwise occupied, I decided to let others brainstorm about it.

* * *

><p>Tachine almost screamed in frustration when the last rays of the sun disappeared. This couldn't be <em>possible<em>, how could they have searched for an _entire day_ without finding _anyone?_ "Where are they? This can't be . . . how . . ."

As Tachine had learned to expect, Dancing Shadow kept his cool. He simply brushed off his tattered clothes before he spoke to Tachine. "Patience Tachine. We'll find them."

Tachine gnashed her teeth. "_How can you not be worried?_"

Dancing Shadow gave a slight grin as he shook his head. "I'm actually as upset as you are. I'm just better at hiding it."

Tachine flinched, but recovered quickly. "Whatever, let's keep going."

She stepped forwards, but Dancing Shadow spoke up again. "It's getting late. We should get some rest."

Tachine almost screamed at Dancing Shadow, but she eventually got her temper under control. "Fine, but tomorrow morning we are going to continue the search right away."

Dancing Shadow agreed so the two of them made a quick supper. As they ate, they spoke to each other. Dancing Shadow soon brought up Zacyr, which surprised Tachine. "What about him?"

Dancing Shadow grinned as he looked up at the sky. "I am simply curious. Edreg claims he's a sadistic demon that's only joy in life is to ruin the lives of others, although it's been a while since he explained it like that. Rudeg appears to only be interested in Zacyr because of a supposed murder that he committed some time ago. But what I have seen of Zacyr, he's not the type of person to harm others for fun. He seems more like a survivor, and when I spoke to him he seemed a nice guy overall."

Tachine frowned as she tried to think of how to explain Zacyr. "Zacyr . . . he's a hard one to understand. He likes to put on a relatively happy façade, but he's . . . he's very complex. I know he has amnesia, at least partial amnesia, and that fact bothers him every now and then. Sometimes he's confident, although when he gets upset that confidence in himself disappears for a little bit."

For a little bit Dancing Shadow didn't speak. When he did, it was quite abrupt. "Many people lose their confidence when something upsets them. The amnesia part is interesting though."

Tachine nodded. "Yeah. Most the times I forget he has it. I have to say though, he must have a lot of stress. He has amnesia, Edreg wants him dead, he has no idea where his extra arms came from-"

Dancing Shadow flinched. "Hmm? Zacyr wasn't born with six arms?"

Tachine shrugged. "He doesn't know. I highly doubt that he could have been, but he _must_ have. A person can't just randomly grow two extra pairs of fully-functional arms! He's not a +Anima either, because he has no mark."

Dancing Shadow frowned as he stood up. "Six arms, and no knowledge of where he got them . . . and to top it all off, he has amnesia . . . I wonder . . ."

Tachine cocked her head as Dancing Shadow began to pace. "If someone's body became alien to them, naturally they would become _greatly_ upset. Is it possible that the event that robbed him of his memory also resulted in his extra arms? Or is it possible that the loss of his memory was the result of him gaining extra arms? Could he have become so upset that he repressed the memory?"

(_**Kesi**_)

Kesi sighed as he and Kshtsi finished supper. They hadn't found _anyone_ today, and both of them were getting worried for the safety of the other members of their respective groups. To top it off, Kshtsi's foot was still injured. Kesi had done what he could - bandaged it and given Kshtsi a quill to use as a walking staff - but it was clear it was hurting Kshtsi. Hopefully it wasn't anything serious though.

The two of them had spoken to each other to pass the time. Kesi was actually delighted to speak to Kshtsi. He was a lot of fun to talk to. But right now Kshtsi looked troubled, and it wasn't in Kesi's nature to ignore a person with a problem. "What's up, Kshtsi? You look upset."

Kshtsi looked the other way. It got Kesi to grin, now was the time to be obnoxious. "Talking will make you feel better."

Kshtsi refused to meet Kesi's eyes. "I-it's . . . I-I'm just worried about my group."

Kesi rolled his eyes. He had done this before with Rudeg. "No, I don't think that's what is on your mind right now. Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Kshtsi seemed surprised, but Kesi continued to gently push him to say it. "You keep something bottled up, all it's going to do is put more stress on the bottle. Eventually the bottle will break."

Kshtsi gave a half-hearted grin as he looked at Kesi. "Either that or the top flies off."

Kesi shook his head. "What happens if someone's standing where the top of the bottle flies to, and they get injured by it? If the bottle breaks, the secret's out and the person's really hurt. If the top flies off, the secret's out and someone _else_ can possibly be hurt."

Kshtsi looked the other way again. Kesi was delighted when Kshtsi gave a large sigh, clearly giving in. "Okay. Look, I uh . . . a bit of time ago, I was separated from my family. The way it happened . . . my parents didn't _plan_ it, but it didn't seem like they really _regretted_ it either. I just . . . I don't know what I want to do. Do I go back home, or do I just stay with the group? On one hand, I know the group would miss me. On the other hand . . . I don't really know if my own _parents_ miss me."

Kesi was shocked, but quickly recuperated. "Well, it sounds like you are more worried that your parents _aren't_ missing you. How would you describe them?"

Kesi watched as Kshtsi went into thought about it. "I . . . I really don't know. I never saw them that much. I want to say that they were kind and caring, but . . . I'm just not certain anymore. We never really had quality time."

Kesi frowned. He knew he'd need more information, but it was clear Kshtsi didn't want to talk about it. Still . . . "I think I'd be able to help you more if you could give the basics of the events that got you separated."

Kshtsi gulped, and Kesi quickly backtracked. "If you don't want to say it though, you don't-"

"I was kidnapped."

Kesi flinched when Kshtsi looked him in the eye. "I was tied to an anchor, and the kidnappers threatened my life for gold. I . . . I listened in complete shock as my parents told the kidnappers that my life wasn't worth the gold. But . . . then they said that they _knew_ the kidnappers were bluffing."

Kesi cocked his head. He was more curious than ever to whom Kshtsi really was, but that was Kshtsi's secret for now. "Were the kidnappers bluffing?"

Kshtsi shrugged. "Don't know. They put me above the water, but when the chain on the anchor broke they were just as shocked as my parents and I were. I sunk deep into the ocean . . . I only lived because I became a +Anima. I got myself untied, but . . . I only _just_ became a +Anima before I would have drowned. I passed out from lack of oxygen, and the next thing I knew I was on dry land with Zacyr and Tachine near me. I guess . . . my parents may just have been bluffing themselves, because I heard them scream my name as I fell into the water, but . . ."

As Kshtsi looked the other way, Kesi found a slight smile coming to his face. "Your parents seem to have _known_ it was a bluff beforehand, but when your life was suddenly in danger they immediately became worried. I think they were worried about you. You should go and at least let them know you're alive."

Kshtsi gulped before he looked at Kesi. "Yes, but . . . I don't want to just leave Zacyr, Tachine, and Sarysi behind. I just . . ."

Kshtsi trailed off, and Kesi went into thought. How could Kshtsi get home . . . hmm. "Do you have a specific area you're going right now?"

Kshtsi flinched as he shook his head, and Kesi smiled. "Then be a little assertive in choosing the direction you're traveling. Let them know where you want to go, and just tell them that you want to visit a friend."

Kesi smiled when Kshtsi gave a slight grin. "Yeah, that actually . . . I like that idea. It doesn't give away too much information, but it also lets me . . . yeah. Thanks."

Kesi smiled at Kshtsi before he stood up. It was only when Kesi noticed a light flickering in the distance that he remembered their current predicament. "Hey Kshtsi, do you see what I see?"

Kshtsi followed Kesi's line of sight, and soon the two of them nodded to each other before calling out. "_**HELLO?**_"

Almost immediately the other light went out, and the two of them heard rapidly approaching footsteps. Kesi smiled when not more than fifty seconds later both Dancing Shadow and Tachine ran into the clearing Kshtsi and Kesi were staying. As Dancing Shadow and Kesi greeted each other, they both laughed as Tachine almost crushed Kshtsi in a hug before quickly letting go, blushing furiously. "Uh-it's great to see you're okay!"

Kshtsi blushed as well, but soon smiled as he told Tachine the same. Kesi and Dancing Shadow smiled at each other, it was clear that both Tachine and Kshtsi were falling in love. Soon the four of them were sitting around the fire. Dancing Shadow got everyone off-guard when he chuckled.

At Kesi's question, Dancing Shadow smiled at them. "Edreg, Sarysi, Rudeg, and Zacyr have probably found each other by now. Just _try_ to imagine that group. Three of them want Zacyr for their own reasons. Edreg wants him dead, Rudeg . . . well, that would be bad. Then Sarysi's clearly falling for Zacyr."

Kesi nodded. "You know, that's something I can't understand. Sarysi doesn't look like the type of girl someone as cautious as Zacyr would fall for."

Dancing Shadow smiled again. "Zacyr accepts that Sarysi is different and that she gets more physical than most. Sarysi likes him because even though Zacyr knows that, he still cares for her. Now, let's get some sleep. We'll search for them tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Honestly, just <em>try<em> to imagine that group. One's his abusive girlfriend, one wants him dead, one wants him in a fate _worse_ than death.

Of course, Dancing Shadow has no proof that group has truly formed. It's just as likely that Edreg and Sarysi spent the entire day arguing and haven't found anyone else.

Just so it's clear, time-wise this chapter is one day after the original. The groups have been separated now for an entire day.


	40. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

So, I think it's about time the reader learns what Rudeg did to Zacyr.

I've been trying my damnedest to keep from telling a chapter from Rudeg's point of view. When you tell a chapter from one character's point of view, you have to try to get into their head and think like they do. This often causes me to sympathize with the character, and that's something I do _not_ want to do with Rudeg.

However, I feel that Zacyr would be a lousy choice to give the view from right now, considering that he's . . . well, see for yourself.

(Warning: I tried my best to show Rudeg's sadistic, torturous side. This here might require me to change the rating from teen to mature, let me know if you think I should.)

* * *

><p><em>Rudeg's Journal<em>

_0 hours_

_I'm not entirely certain how it happened. Its morning, I must have been knocked out by something. But what a gift I found. I awoke to find Zacyr unconscious in front of me. I saw no one else around, so I quickly pulled Zacyr into the forest._

_I couldn't be happier right now, I've finished immobilizing Zacyr with his own rope. He's now hanging in the air spread-eagle, suspended by each and every limb and pulled tight enough so he won't be able to move._

_Took off his shirt, and I already have some psychological warfare prepped from what I saw. He and I have the same birth-mark on our stomach. Sidas must have been __his__ father too! Naturally we __can't__ have the same mother: mine died in childbirth, and Zacyr's younger than me. So we're half-brother and half-sister._

_It's rather amusing, actually. The son took his father's place in my technique. However, I won't have time to slowly destroy his confidence. There's no telling whether Edreg or someone else will stumble upon this. Knowing Edreg, I'm probably going to be kicked out of the group for this __and__ he'll kill Zacyr._

_1 hour_

_Got done tearing apart Zacyr's shirt. Some weird white mouse tried to bite off my hand when I first touched the shirt, not entirely certain why it was hiding behind Zacyr's neck. No matter, I shoo'd it away. Made a makeshift blindfold out of part of the pieces of Zacyr's shirt. It's important that he is __**entirely **__dependent on me. The loss of any sense of time will increase the stress on his mind, and will make this go all the faster._

_Zacyr's still unconscious, starting to wonder if a kick to the groin will wake him up faster. But for now I should think about how I will approach this taming. I'll need a week for a good, solid taming that will ensure his complete devotion, but I don't have that kind of time. I'll have to go with a more unreliable technique for now, forcing him to get total amnesia._

_I don't like this technique. There's too much room for error, and it's possible to end up with him being a bit TOO broken. The mind's a dangerous thing to overload with stress, everyone responds differently. Not only that, amnesia is curable. If only I had more time! Ugh, whatever. I'll give him amnesia, train him until it's safe to relocate, then I'll work on his absolute devotion there._

_2 hours_

_He woke up. I'm greatly excited at this taming, he's a resilient one. Didn't even cry out for help. Of course, that's pretty ironic considering that's the one thing that I was worried about. In fact the correct thing for me to have done was cover his mouth, but that would interfere with the taming._

_I tried to wring some personal information out of him. He clamped his mouth shut almost immediately. I even got out the whip and struck him a few times, but he refused to speak. Interesting . . . is he doing this because he __knows__ why I'm trying to get him to speak, or is he just doing this because he hates me?_

_Going to leave him there for a few hours, but not many. I'm still worried about Edreg or someone else screwing this up, I don't normally do this so close to other +Anima._

_3 hours_

_Been watching him for a bit. He's got no idea I'm here, which was my intention. He's acting strange though. He's been trying to speak to his shoulder, asking for 'Real' to bite through the rope. Wait a second, was that white mouse his __pet?__ Oh, this just got good. Keeping this one short, I need to go mouse-hunting._

_4 hours_

_Got him. Took a few tries to get a mouse alive, but I eventually settled on a brown one. Color doesn't matter since Zacyr can't see through the blindfold what color the mouse is. All that matters is that he __thinks__ I have 'Real' with me._

_Tortured 'Real' until Zacyr begged me to stop. I asked him if he could tell me about his life, and was __extremely__ shocked to learn that Zacyr's __already__ suffering from amnesia. Oh, this is going to be __good__. I should have him tamed before nightfall at this rate._

_5 hours_

_Waited for 65 minutes. These meetings have to be irregular, so he has no idea when they are going to happen. That'll help heighten his stress._

_I'm already getting to him, I can tell. I told him that I know more about his past than anyone else, and he instinctively started paying attention. I asked him what he already knows, he keeps speaking of a girl named 'Erika'._

_He __has__ also had true memories about what happened. I'll target each and every fact that he's told me, and I'm going to counter it with false proof._

_5 hours, 20 minutes_

_Perfect. There is no other way to describe it. He's in __tears__ over what I told him, I can't believe that he's so gullible! He's currently under the misunderstanding that I'm his sister, which overall isn't that far off._

_I told him how he was physically abused by __our__ father, and that __our__ mother sexually abused him. I also told him how Erika had had a bet with me that she could make Zacyr see hallucinations by giving him a special concoction she made, and that she had failed to tell me it was permanent. I made up a whole shit-load of stuff, but the important part is that I sounded convincing. He keeps trying to deny what I told him, but it's quite clear that I've struck gold._

_7 hours_

_Ah, I should have known it was too good to be true. He almost convinced me that I had broken his will, until he accidentally gave away that it was all an act._

_I couldn't be happier. Zacyr's proving both a challenge and a sucker. I've never attempted taming a person as convincing as he had been. It's actually very common for a person to feign that they have a broken will in order to try to trick me into letting them go, but he actually realized he had to __act__ the part as well. He also realized I did not ever tell him to call me mistress or master, and as such addressed me as 'Sis'. But if he thinks I have some sisterly kind of love towards him, he's __wrong__._

_Tortured 'Real' a bit before randomly whipping Zacyr. Could have sworn I saw a +Anima mark on his back once, but the next time I looked his back was bare. Odd._

_8 hours_

_He's not entirely there yet, but he's getting close. I can't believe how well I'm doing, a mere 8 hours of work and he's almost broke already. He thinks he's fooling me by responding to my commands as if he was giving in. What he doesn't realize is that, subconsciously, he __**is**__ giving in._

_I killed 'Real' this time, and had him feel the mouse to discern a heartbeat. As I expected, he didn't realize it wasn't actually __his__ 'Real'. He was in mourning for a bit before I began to whip him. After the 10th hit he went limp, and I'm starting to wonder if I've killed him by mistake._

_9 hours_

_He was up again for a little bit, and something strange happened. I'm not entirely certain what it was, I'm starting to wonder if I fell asleep for a little bit._

_He went into a rage, and for just a moment . . . I don't know how to explain it. I must suffer from the same thing he does, because I saw two eyes appear on his forehead for a little bit. During that time, he acted significantly more aggressive, and appeared to show signs of abnormal hostility towards me._

_Granted, hostility isn't unusual for me. But it just doesn't fit what I've seen of him already. He's hostile to me, yes, but he wasn't __**that**__ hostile to me. Either way, I knocked him out with a club to the head. Maybe I was the one that was dreaming?_

_Hmm . . . now __**that's**__ a thought._

_10 hours_

_He's still out cold. I'm starting to wonder if I hit him too hard. Decided that I wasn't dreaming, the lump on the side of his head is proof that I at least hit him alongside the head. I'm having a few berries, along with a few mice. I don't want to leave Zacyr alone for a second, I'm hearing too many people walking around here._

_10 hours 41 minutes_

_He woke up. I looked away for one second, and by the time I turned back around I was shocked to find him bleeding from the mouth. I had to check for a heartbeat, and while I did he quickly tried to spit at me. Clever, although I can't figure out what he was expecting to accomplish. Still trying to figure out where the blood came from, but I continued with the taming nonetheless._

_I have never been happier, I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner! With how many times that I've knocked him out, he's already losing touch with the real world! I got another mouse, and told him that it was Real. He was clearly confused, remembering that I had earlier killed Real. I feigned confusion myself, until I faked having the revelation that he had been dreaming. The thought greatly disturbed him. I noticed tears staining the blindfold, he's reached the point where he no longer knows what's going on._

_He told me he was hearing voices, and it almost got me to panic. I had mistaken him for meaning his __group member's__ voices. What he meant was that he remembers hearing his mother during 'play-time', as I had called it. This is perfect, he's making false memories now!_

_I nudged it along, telling him how I had tried so hard to convince our mother not to do that, that it was wrong. He asked me if I could do something for him. I was going to refuse, but I asked anyways. I couldn't have been more delighted when he pleaded for me to cut off his extra arms. I made him promise me that he would be a good boy if I did so, which he agreed. He no longer calls me anything but 'Sis' as I told him to._

_While I would have preferred having him keep those arms, I don't like breaking a promise. Not to say that I didn't have some fun while doing so. I 'warned' him that it would be very slow and very painful, because I didn't have anything that could cut through bone. He pleaded with me to do it anyways, and I did. Of course, bone wasn't the issue. I've got a big knife with a serrated edge that's __perfect__ for cutting through bone. I just wanted to make him suffer, like the loving 'older sister' he thinks I am. So that's what I did._

_I spent a good 10 minutes or so on the first arm, but almost just as that one fell to the ground Zacyr went limp. I quickly cut off the other extra arms then got his sides bandaged up. He can't be a slave if he bleeds to death._

_It's almost night time. I think I'm going to sleep a little bit away from the taming area. He's trying to form a bond with me, so I have to kill that bond before I grow too attached to him._

_1 day 0 hours_

_By the Wise One. I don't believe it! In only __ONE DAY__, I gave him amnesia! What's more, it's __total__ amnesia! He can't even remember his own name! He doesn't even recognize my voice! In just __one day!_

_What is more, I figured out where the blood from last night came from. That magnificent BASTARD bit his own tongue hard enough to make it bleed, then let the blood pool up in his mouth so it looked like much more than it really was! That magnificent BASTARD!_

_No matter, he has __no__ idea who I am now. I gave him a speech I've perfected over a life-time, of how all humans exist to serve +Anima. He surprised me by simply asking what I wanted him to do. I'm going to spend the next hour trying to get him to slip first, just because I know now how clever he is._

_1 day 1 hour_

_So far so good. He hasn't slipped once, and seems to be getting confused by the questions. He may not be trying to fool me. Did I really give him complete amnesia in a single day? Wow, I didn't know my own skill. I released him from the ropes, and he politely asked me what I want him to do. He questioned about why he couldn't see, so I told him he was blind. He didn't question that._

_I've spent the last five minutes leading him back and forth from the taming area to a stream. I told him that his first job would be to fetch me a bucket of water. He just left moments ago to do that. However, I've noticed sounds not too far away. I think I may have been found. No matter, I just need to_

Rudeg frowned as the sound grew closer. She soon set down her journal when she realized how close the sound was getting. It was just one person, and whatever they were wearing on their feet . . . Rudeg couldn't tell who it was. Either way, it didn't matter who it was. What _did_ matter was that it was headed in the direction of the stream that Zacyr was currently getting water from. Rudeg immediately dashed over to the stream, but the footsteps got there faster. As Rudeg raced through the trees, she could hear Zacyr speak.

"Hello? Who's there?"

". . . Senri."

Rudeg gnashed her teeth, _someone had found Zacyr! _She had to hurry, this person could screw up _everything!_ She sprinted towards the stream, and the other voice said only one word to Zacyr. "Follow."

"Okay-"

Rudeg immediately shouted out, she had to stop this! "_Stay RIGHT there!_"

Rudeg finally reached the stream, taking in the sight in front of her. Zacyr was trying to look at Rudeg, although the blindfold over his eyes were clearly making that impossible. Right next to him was a boy wearing an eye-patch over one of his eyes. Rudeg cringed when she realized the boy was a Kim-un-kur. Not one of _these_ assholes! "Get over here _**now**_, slave!"

Zacyr obediently tried to walk towards Rudeg, but Rudeg could only gnash her teeth in frustration when the boy - Senri, as he had introduced himself as - held Zacyr back. Zacyr looked confused as he stopped, clearly uncertain of what was going on. Rudeg swore harshly as she grabbed out her daggers.

The Kim-un-kur frowned as he sternly glared at Rudeg. Rudeg was surprised when the Kim-un-kur stood between her and Zacyr, but the message was clear. Rudeg would have to kill the damn Kim-un-kur in order to get Zacyr back. She grinned as she charged. She had no problem facing a cowardly Kim-un-kur!

(_**Sarysi**_)

Sarysi sighed as she and Edreg began searching the forest. For a little bit the two of them didn't say much. Then Sarysi decided she had to ask one thing. "Why do you hate Zacyr?"

Sarysi could only grin when Edreg glared at her. "He took everything from me. It's his fault that my life has come to this, it's _his _fault I'm stuck in this hell! If he hadn't shown up, dad would _never_ have kicked me out of the house!"

Sarysi sighed as she looked at Edreg. "So you hate your group?"

Edreg flinched, clearly shocked at Sarysi's question. "What? No, I . . . well, there's _Rudeg_, but even then she has her moments. I . . . the group members are good, I just . . . this entire _lifestyle_ . . ."

Sarysi chuckled as Edreg tried to find a specific part. Soon she cleared her throat. "So why exactly do you blame Zacyr? I wasn't there, but from what Zacyr's told me he had very little to do with it."

Edreg glared at Sarysi, clearly furious. "He had _everything_ to do with it! If he hadn't tricked me into revealing my secret to my father, I would never have-"

"And how did he do that?"

Edreg flinched again, but spoke quickly. "He must have set it up beforehand with my father. I . . . he even pretended he couldn't _read_, and I _know_ that can't be true. There's no way-"

Sarysi raised a hand. "When Zacyr found a book in a cave, he was forced to give it to me and have me read it to him. He wasn't lying, he honestly _can't_ read."

Edreg flinched yet again. "What? But how could he have known which store he was in?"

Sarysi gave a slight grin. "According to him, he asked a man he later learned was your father. Let me put it this way Edreg. He may have been part of the proof against you, but he didn't _intend_ to be. Besides, _you_ were the one that tried to scam him."

Edreg gnashed his teeth as he looked the other way. "It doesn't . . . either way, he's still a part of the problem! It's still his fault, there's no way-"

Sarysi shook her head. "Okay, let's assume that it _was_ his fault for the sake of arguing. You said everything went wrong after he came into your life? So you hated Cody?"

Sarysi had struck gold. Edreg completely froze in place before giving her a shocked look. "I . . . well I didn't _like_ him, but I didn't _hate_ him."

Sarysi shook her head. "So why are you so pissed off that I killed him? Why do you hate Zacyr more than you hate me? I'm the one that killed your friend."

Edreg looked the other way, _blushing_. "I . . . well . . . I-I . . . I don't know. I . . . Cody was annoying, but not in a bad way. He was so naïve, but he was also so . . . so _loyal_, for lack of a better term. His biggest fear was that I hated him, and he tried so hard to make me his friend that it got annoying. I . . . I still can't believe he's gone."

Edreg rubbed his arm, and Sarysi smiled as she gently put an arm around Edreg. "Edreg, look. I understand that you're upset at your life, but this isn't the way to handle it. Zacyr's nothing more than a scapegoat, killing him wouldn't get back your life. Answer me this Edreg, what would have happened ifyour father never had found out?"

Edreg frowned as he looked the other way. "I . . . it would just have been the same life, me getting more money and . . . and just . . . it would be okay again, I wouldn't even be a +Anima."

Sarysi smiled gently towards Edreg. "So you are saying that scamming people and living in fear that your father will one day find out is 'okay'? Look at yourself Edreg. Zacyr didn't turn you into a +Anima, it was your own decisions that resulted in that. Is it _his_ fault that he just happened to be the one customer that your father used to finally learn of what you were doing? Edreg, do you know why I like Zacyr? He's not just tough physically, he's tough mentally. Even now, just look at him. He can't trust his eyes, he has four extra arms that shouldn't be there, he can't even remember most of his past, and yet he's still able to smile. He has so many reasons to be upset or angry at his life, yet he always gets out okay."

Sarysi smiled when Edreg gulped again. "I . . . look, I just . . . Cody died trying to help me achieve that goal. I owe it to him to make his death mean something."

Sarysi nodded. "Yes, you do. Now let me ask you something. What were Cody's _own_ thoughts on your hatred of Zacyr? Did he approve?"

Edreg cringed. Sarysi didn't need to hear the answer, so she continued to speak. "Would _Cody_ want you to do this? Or was he worried about you? Do you really know the reason Cody intervened in the first place, was he _really_ that naïve to think that he could take Zacyr by himself? Or was it that the thought of you dying was unbearable for him, so much that he chose to risk his own life for you to live? And yet here you are, butting heads with people stronger than you in order for a _chance_ to kill Zacyr. You _do_ owe it to Cody to make his death mean something, _so make it actually __**mean**__ something that Cody would approve of!_"

Sarysi could only grin as Edreg looked the other way, clearly upset. "I'll leave it at that. Just think about it though, alright?"

Edreg nodded so slightly that Sarysi wasn't even certain it was a conscious act. As the two of them continued to walk, Edreg looked like he was deep in thought. It was only after about ten or twenty minutes that Edreg suddenly froze. "Oh no."

Sarysi frowned, looking around. The two of them were standing next to a stream right now, but soon Edreg spoke to her. "Zacyr and Rudeg were swept away together, weren't they?"

Sarysi nodded, soon flinching when Edreg swore. "Oh, shit. And we haven't seen them in a _day . . ._ oh, _**shit.**_ We have to find them _fast!_"

Sarysi frowned, soon catching Edreg by the shoulder when he tried to run past. "Hold on, Edreg. Care to explain?"

Edreg immediately turned to look at Sarysi, and she was shocked and alarmed to see the _fear_ in his eyes. "Look, I still don't like Zacyr. While . . . I _will_ think about what you said, but before that I wanted him _dead_. _Rudeg_ though . . . I can't justify what she'll do to him. She only joined the group after she and I found we had a common enemy. She's dead-set on turning Zacyr into her personal slave, and she was always the one that worked hard to convince me to keep tracking Zacyr."

"_**SHE WANTS TO DO **__**WHAT?**_"

Sarysi's voice shot through the air, but she could only look at Edreg with shock. For a little bit, the two of them didn't say anything. Then they both heard voices approaching.

"Yeah, it had to be Sarysi. No one else could make that loud of a racket with no warning."

The two of them turned, sighing in relief when Kesi, Kshtsi, Tachine, and Dancing Shadow appeared. After the groups greeted each other, Sarysi cleared her throat. "So where's-"

"_**RUDEG! OH GOD NO!**_"

Sarysi couldn't have jumped higher if she tried. She, and everyone else, turned to face Kesi. There was horror in Kesi's eyes as he looked a bit away from the group, towards where the stream was flowing from. Sarysi followed his line of sight, and she couldn't believe what she saw.

Rudeg was floating downstream, not moving an inch. Her eyes were wide with shock and there was a massive gouge in her chest, blood flowing freely from what must have been a _vicious_ strike. Sarysi and everyone else immediately raced over to Rudeg's corpse, and with a bit of teamwork pulled it out of the water. Sarysi looked her over, and soon confirmed what she believed. "She's dead. No way someone could live through that, even Zacyr would have died from a wound like this."

"_**No, no, NO! Not Rudeg!**_"

Everyone turned in shock to find Kesi crying, looking completely horrified. Even though Dancing Shadow and Edreg called out for Kesi he suddenly turned around and dashed into the forest. Edreg immediately followed Kesi, telling him to wait. Dancing Shadow began to follow, but then looked back at the group. "We'll keep Kesi from hurting himself. Don't worry about him, we can calm him down."

Dancing Shadow then raced out of sight, leaving Sarysi, Kshtsi, and Tachine there alongside Rudeg's corpse. Sarysi looked Rudeg over before clearing her throat. "This was done by a bear claw, possibly a bear +Anima. But from what Edreg told me . . . there's no telling what happened to Zacyr. We have to find him."

Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi were soon racing down the stream, calling out for Zacyr.

* * *

><p>This here took a while to make. I wanted to find a way to make people understand how Rudeg thinks, but at the same time I refused to let myself grow attached to her character. This right here - telling a chapter from her point of view <em>right<em> before she dies - was my way of compromising. That way, I wouldn't grow so attached to her character that I couldn't let her die. This is the same reason Cody died in the very first chapter he appeared, so I couldn't grow attached to him and think 'but I don't WANT him to die!'

So, what's going on with Zacyr? And did I actually include a bear +Anima named Senri who is ALSO a Kim-un-kur? Now where have I heard of Senri before . . .

:)

Let me know if you think I should split this one into two chapters. I was considering it, but I felt that it was way too evil to end it with such a large cliffhanger. So like any good writer, I ended it with a DIFFERENT cliffhanger.


	41. What's In A Name

Okay, how do I say this . . .

This part was originally going to be Zacyr writing in a journal, and was going to be just a summary of what happened when the group couldn't find him. But due to the positive reviews at my inclusion of Senri into the story, I've decided to expand on this part.

Now, I just want to recap some of the IMPORTANT things that Rudeg did to Zacyr. That way, if someone decided not to read Rudeg's diary because it seemed too sadistic, they can still understand what happened.

-She gave him complete and total amnesia

-Tore his shirt apart to use one part as a blindfold

-Sliced off his extra arms

-Bandaged his chest and stomach to stop the bleeding from the now-missing arms

Okay, now let's roll!

* * *

><p>The boy didn't know what was going on. Right now he was holding the bucket the girl had commanded him to, trying to figure out why he couldn't remember anything. What was his <em>name?<em> He couldn't even remember that. He couldn't even see anything, although that girl had informed him that his lack of sight was because he was blind. Apparently the thing he felt covering his 'eyes' was to hide either eyes that could not see or empty sockets where eyes once were.

He felt like _shit_. There was no better way to explain it. His sides were _killing _him and he was hungry and thirsty. Still . . . what had happened? The boy named Senri . . . he was still here, his footsteps hadn't walked away. The girl that had been screaming at the boy, though . . . the boy had heard her gasp before he had heard a thud. Not long after that, Senri had dragged something over to the river, and then the boy had heard a splash. It didn't take a genius to figure out the girl was dead, her body now floating downstream.

But who had she been? Her voice had sent a chill down the boy's back, had he known her? She had called him her slave, and while that didn't feel _right_ . . . no, this wasn't the girl's rules that the boy should be worrying about. Eventually he cleared his throat, he had to figure this out. "Thank you Senri. I . . . I would like to tell you what happened, but I can't remember . . . well, anything."

Senri didn't say a word, but the boy was shocked when he felt hands at his blindfold. "The girl told me I was blind, I don't-"

Without waiting for the boy to finish his sentence Senri lifted the blindfold off of the boy's eyes, and the boy was shocked as he instinctively squinted. If he was blind, why could he see light through closed eyelids? Without a second thought, the boy opened his eyes. He was rather surprised to find that his eyes worked just fine.

"So the girl was lying about that."

The boy saw his helper, Senri, for the first time. He was surprised to find sympathy in Senri's eye. Senri soon gently took the bucket the boy had been holding out of the boy's hands, filled it up with water, and let the boy have it back.

The boy thanked Senri before finally sating his thirst. Once he had all the water his body could take in at once the boy set down the bucket, soon looking Senri over. Senri's ashen grey hair intrigued the boy, for the boy also noticed that his own hair was silver. He didn't know his own eye-color, but that didn't matter at this time. What he wanted to do first was introduce himself to Senri.

"I'm . . . ugh, I can't even remember my own name."

Senri looked surprised, but soon it was the boy that was the surprised one when Senri grabbed out a book. As the boy watched patiently, Senri flipped through the pages of the book. Eventually Senri stopped, and reached into the book. The boy was startled when Senri pulled a flower out of the book. The flower was like a pure-white tulip, stem and all, but from the bud of the plant extended several long strands of what appeared to be some sort of hair.

"Acyr."

The boy flinched as Senri gently put a hand on the boy's chest. "Acyr."

It took a small amount of time for it to sink in, but soon the boy realized Senri was actually giving him his _name._ "My name is Acyr?"

Senri slowly nodded, and the boy smiled. Now he had a name to call himself. 'Acyr'. Yeah, that sounded right. His name was Acyr.

Acyr flinched as Senri turned around. "Follow."

Acyr immediately nodded, and soon Senri was leading him through the forest. For a while, Acyr tried to remember how he had gotten here, what had happened . . . why wasn't he wearing a shirt? All he had covering his stomach and a good deal of his chest was a large amount of bandages. Judging from the pain in his sides, the bandages were for some wounds he had endured.

Okay, details. His name was Acyr. He was . . . how old? He was younger than Senri at least, but not _much_ younger. Hmm . . . he'd have to come back to that one. Okay, all he had to do was remain calm. Panic would only get him riled up. His grumbling stomach alerted Acyr to the fact that he hadn't sated his hunger yet. Senri looked back for a moment, but then he looked forwards and continued to walk, albeit at a slightly faster pace.

For a bit of time the two of them simply walked. Senri eventually led Acyr out of the forest. Acyr was soon surprised to find them walking up a mountain trail. As they got heard voices in the distance, Acyr cocked his head. Senri wasn't a very chatty guy, although Acyr had to admit he kind of liked that.

Acyr was shocked when they turned a corner to find a small group of people with shovels trying to clear a large amount of debris from a pathway. Acyr was surprised when two young girls walked up to Senri.

One of the girls had strange short hair that was the exact same color as Acyr's. The girl also boasted blue-purple eyes, and seemed to be absentmindedly holding a staff in her hand. The other girl had long brown hair that complimented her green eyes. That girl cocked her head as she spoke up. "Senri? Where have you been, and who's your friend?"

Acyr introduced himself, and the silver-haired girl grunted her name with a surprisingly deep voice. "Husky."

The other girl smiled as she introduced herself as Nana. She asked Acyr about if he was a traveler too, but Acyr could only blush. "I . . . I don't remember."

It took a bit of time, but eventually Acyr (with a few more one-worded sentences from Senri to help him along) explained how Senri had found him, as that one girl's slave. Nana, Husky, and even some of the villagers that had been listening in seemed quite shocked.

Eventually, Acyr sighed again. He still had one question that was bugging him. "Is it true that all humans have been enslaved by +Anima?"

Husky and Nana vehemently denied it, and the villagers agreed with the two girls. Acyr sighed, so he couldn't trust _anything_ he had been told by the girl Senri had saved him from. Eventually he sat down, trying to calm down his confused mind.

"He should come with us!"

Acyr looked up with surprise as Nana spoke to Husky and Senri. Husky shook his head no, and Acyr grinned as Nana put her hands on her hips. "There's no reason that he can't!"

Husky shook his head no, and then nodded towards the road. "Either way, we aren't leaving without Cooro. And since he's _still_ not back, we have to go to _him_. And in order to do _that_, we need to clear the road."

Acyr gave a small smile. "Well, I'm not too busy at the moment. Need a hand with the road?"

It wasn't long before Acyr was handed a shovel. He simply grinned as he walked over to the pile, this would be a good way to pass the time while he tried to remember his past.

* * *

><p>I know very well that Husky is a boy. I can't say that I've seen the evidence, but I also don't <em>want<em> to because I'm not a pedophile. It's _Zacyr_ that doesn't know, and I've got his 'revelation' all planned out.

On an unrelated note, how does _Senri_ know how to say Zacyr's name?


	42. Mistakes Were Made

Zacyr is helping Husky, Nana, and Senri to clear up the mountain trail that was blockaded by the same surge of water that separated Zacyr's group in the first place.

* * *

><p>Acyr and Senri stared each other in the eye as they stood there. Acyr was determined not to lose again!<p>

Now if Acyr wasn't so dead-set on winning his confrontation with Senri, he'd probably notice that a bit of time had passed. The pile of debris, which Acyr had learned was caused by a storm two days ago, hadn't grown much smaller. Acyr's lack of recent nutrients had hindered his ability to be much help with the removal of the debris.

Besides, they had gotten there at about break time. As such, Acyr was trying to recuperate his strength. Which probably made his current challenge a pretty stupid act, but it was actually caused by him simply trying to pass the time. Acyr was focused entirely on his confrontation, so he didn't even hear the conversation between Husky and Nana.

"What is Acyr doing _now?_"

As stated above, Acyr was not focusing on them at all. So he did not see the amusement in Nana's eyes as she responded to Husky's question. "He's having a staring contest with Senri. So far Senri's beaten him about twenty times in a row."

Acyr didn't hear Husky chuckle, he was too focused on forcing himself to not blink. Senri focused his gaze on Acyr's, and suddenly . . . it was so _fast_ . . .

Acyr no longer felt like he was in the contest. All he could think about was Senri's stare. It was so calm, so focused . . . and it felt like Senri was staring into Acyr's very _soul!_ With a gasp Acyr finally broke eye-contact, blinking as he did so. Once he regained control of his own thoughts, Acyr suddenly realized he had blinked before Senri had. "_**Damn it!**_"

As Acyr tried to figure out how the _hell_ Senri was able to do that, Nana giggled as she addressed Husky. "Make that twenty-_one_ times in a row."

Acyr didn't hear either of the girls. Instead, he focused on Senri. "How do you _do_ that? _Every single time!_ That's just not _fair_!"

As always, Senri didn't respond verbally. He simply smiled at Acyr, and as most of the villagers chuckled Acyr sighed. "Fine, you win."

Senri nodded before he cocked his head. Acyr simply shook his head. He knew very well that Senri was trying to say 'you want to try again?' "No, I think seeing you stare into my very soul about twenty-one times is enough."

Senri's smile grew slightly, then to Acyr and the rest of the group's shock Senri abruptly walked down the path, headed to the forest. Acyr frowned. Where was Senri going? When Husky sighed Acyr turned to face her. "Should we go after him?"

Husky sighed as she shook her head. As she did, Acyr found himself thinking that Husky was a rather cute girl. It was only when Husky spoke that Acyr re-focused. "No, Senri can handle himself. Now we should get back to clearing the road."

With that, Husky went to pick up her shovel. As she did, Acyr found himself wondering about the staff Husky was absentmindedly holding. He could have _sworn_ he had seen that staff somewhere . . . for some odd reason, it made Acyr think about honey . . .

Acyr was taken out of his thoughts when Nana giggled at Husky. "You are _definitely_ worried about Cooro, aren't you?"

The speed of Husky's reply, as well as the viciousness in her glare, told Acyr that the two of them had had this conversation before. "_**No I am not!**_ He's annoying, and as I stated before he acts like a three-year-old! He just . . ."

Acyr frowned as he crossed his arms. From what he was understanding . . . "So you're Cooro's girlfriend?"

Acyr immediately realized he had just made a _big_ mistake somewhere. Both Husky and Nana froze, and Husky actually began shaking in rage. Nana looked like she wasn't certain whether to be worried or whether she should be laughing.

Acyr couldn't have been more shocked when Husky charged at him, and soon Husky was hitting Acyr with her staff as hard as she could. Poor Acyr could only raise his arms in defense, trying to shield his head from the enraged girl's strikes. _**What did he say?**_

Fortunately for Acyr, Husky told him. When Husky spoke, she punctuated every word with another strike. "_**I, AM, A, GUY!**_"

Oh! Acyr blushed furiously as he tried to defend himself from Husky's assault. Now that he _knew_ why Husky was so angry . . . okay, maybe Acyr deserved this one.

Fortunately, Husky eventually vented out his anger. Acyr felt sore all over, but at the very least he was still alive. When Nana suggested that they get back to clearing the debris Husky agreed, but not before he shot a _murderous_ glare in Acyr's direction. Acyr sighed as he went to grab his shovel, cringing when the movement aggravated the pain still coming from Acyr's sides. Damn, what kind of wound was making Acyr's sides hurt so much?

Acyr shook off the pain, but as he reached for the shovel Nana suddenly spoke to him. "Hey Acyr, look at the palm of your left hand."

Acyr complied, and he was completely shocked to find a thick, ropey scar crossing his palm. Now that he knew of it, he quickly noticed that a few of the fingers on that same hand also showed signs of being involved in the incident that caused the wound. It was like he had actually grabbed onto some sort of iron pole that was red-hot at that point. Huh, weird. "I don't remember how I got it."

For a bit of time Acyr didn't say any more. He simply helped them work on clearing the debris. During that time, he thought about Senri. How had Senri known Acyr's name, and why did that flower Senri had in his book seem so familiar to Acyr? It felt like the answer was _just_ out of Acyr's grasp, and he just couldn't reach it.

About ten minutes or so later, Acyr's stomach startled everyone when it let out a loud, long growl. Acyr could only blush, he was _still_ starving. Fortunately one of the villagers took pity on him, and soon Acyr was hungrily devouring a good-sized loaf of bread. Once he was done eating, Acyr was about to go back to the shovel when Senri abruptly returned.

Acyr was surprised to find Senri holding a good deal of flowers that looked _just_ like the flower in Senri's book. Acyr didn't expect it when Senri handed some of the flowers to Acyr. Well, this was awkward. Was Senri trying to woo Acyr? Acyr thought he couldn't have been more surprised than he felt now.

He soon learned otherwise when . . . it was strange. As he looked at the flowers . . . the best way to explain it would be that Acyr's mind went into autopilot. He was hardly aware of the area around him as he watched himself pluck the strange strands of fibers from the flowers, noting that each strand had to be at least ten feet long. Once he had thirty of them, Acyr found his hands quickly and skillfully placing each individual strand so they formed a tube-shape, bundling them tightly so no air would be able to pass through.

Once he did, he was surprised when he masterfully twisted the rope . . . wait, was that what he was making? As Acyr watched his hands in fascination, he soon realized that was indeed what he was doing. He was weaving rope! Overall, it only took him about two minutes to complete it. But he had to admit . . . it felt kind of nice. The best way to explain it would be that he felt like he was _made_ to do this.

Once he was done, he looked over the rope with shock yet amusement. There was no way that this could have been his first time making this rope, he just made it too well. This _had_ to be a piece of his past. He could only grin as he looked at Senri. "Alright, there's no other explanation. You and I _have_ to have met before."

Senri nodded, saying the word 'yes' as he did. Acyr could only grin as he looked back at the rope.

When Acyr looked at the other flowers Senri had grabbed, Acyr suddenly got an idea. At his request Senri let Acyr have the extra flowers, and soon Acyr was at work making something completely different. At least twenty minutes must have passed before Acyr looked at his creation with pride. He could only grin with satisfaction as he picked up the shirt made entirely of the plant-fibers and put it on. _Finally_, he had something to wear!

Now that he was fed and he had a shirt to wear, as well as a hint to his past, Acyr was more than willing to go back to helping them clear up the large pile of debris blocking the trail up the mountain.

* * *

><p>I remember the first time I really saw Senri's incredible staring ability. It was when the group was in Beena village, and the villagers weren't telling the group where Cooro was. Senri wasn't fooled by their half-hearted lies, and he stared so intensely at one of the villagers that they actually confessed that Cooro was at the honeycomb mansion. The best part? The villager wasn't even <em>facing<em> Senri while Senri stared at him, yet he was _still_ affected by it.

After giving much thought to Senri's incredible act, I have concluded that Senri has mind powers. Makes sense, right? :P

I don't know if I will include a memory of Zacyr's that will explain how Senri knows him. Probably, if I can figure out the right area to squeeze it in.

It took me actually writing how Senri hands Acyr the flowers that I realized it could be taken the wrong way, so I had to include a nod to that. ESPECIALLY after the 'Husky is Cooro's girlfriend' joke.

Perhaps I shall become more serious later into this part, but probably not. I'm toying with a few ideas in specific, but overall the plot for this area's pretty solid in my opinion, so it shouldn't take long for me to write and upload a few more chapters.


	43. The Black Winged Angel

Sorry about the lull in activity, I'm trying to work on a redo of a different story I made. ANYWAYS, I figured it was about time to get Cooro into the story, 'cause he's awesome.

* * *

><p>It took a long time, and a few more breaks, but there came the time when Acyr put down his shovel for the last time. The group stood back and cheered, the pile of debris had <em>finally<em> been vanquished! As Husky, Nana, and Senri volunteered to go up and let the people on top of the mountain know the villagers began walking back towards their village.

It took Acyr a few minutes before he realized he had no idea what to do. Where did he want to go now? He still didn't remember much of anything. All he really knew was his name and the fact that he could make rope, as well as the fact that Senri seemed to know who he was.

At first Acyr had come to the conclusion that he had been traveling with Senri's group. But if that was true, then how come Nana and Husky didn't know him? Perhaps he and Senri had simply seen each other once before, and Senri remembered? But yet again, if Senri was the person Acyr knew best then shouldn't he be staying around Senri? Senri could possibly know a bit more about Acyr than anyone else did.

It was also about this time that Acyr heard a combined '_**WHAT**_' from the top of the mountain. Understandably curious, Acyr decided to head up the path. That '_**WHAT**_' had sounded like a combined scream from Husky and Nana, something must have been wrong!

Acyr quickly headed up the mountain trail, trying to figure out what was wrong. He couldn't really find a reason something would require the two of them to scream the word 'what', but he guessed that he'd find out once he got to the top of the trail.

Once he _did_ get all the way up the trail, Acyr was both annoyed and amused to find that the situation wasn't as bad as he had assumed it was going to be. Nana and Husky were both angrily speaking to another boy. This boy must have been Cooro. Acyr could only cock his head as Husky spoke up. "_You are telling us that while we were __**breaking our backs**__ down there in order to clear the trail, you were up here eating __**cheese?**_"

Acyr flinched at that. Acyr almost felt bad for the clearly confused Cooro, who seemed surprised to learn that his group members had been working on clearing up the mountain trail. As Cooro blushed and said that he didn't know they were clearing the road, Acyr turned to see an older boy watching with embarrassment.

Acyr decided to let Cooro and his group settle their own dispute. He instead walked over to the older boy and greeted him. "Hi there."

The older boy looked at Acyr curiously, but soon returned the greeting. "My Name's Shad."

Acyr smiled as he told Shad his name. Soon Acyr found himself explaining that he had amnesia, to which Shad looked rather sympathetic to him. But before he could respond, they both turned as Nana let out a shriek. "_**MOUSE!**_"

Acyr could only grin as Husky let out a similar (albeit deeper-toned) shriek, and he walked over quickly as Husky attempted to hit the mouse with his staff. Acyr was surprised when Senri quickly reached down and got the mouse out of harm's way. As Acyr approached, Senri nodded to the mouse now in his hands. "Real."

Acyr cocked his head at that. What did Senri mean by that? But as he approached, that became the last thing on his mind. The mouse both amused and shocked Acyr when it bit Senri's finger, and as Senri dropped it the mouse quickly took off towards Acyr. Before Acyr could really follow what was going on, the mouse was racing up his leg.

Acyr could only grin when he finally realized what was going on. He watched with amusement and delight as the mouse quickly raced up Acyr's side, soon getting up to his shoulder and snuggling against Acyr's neck. He could feel the tiny creature's heart beat, and he could tell from the mouse's trembling that the mouse was scared. "There, there Real. It's okay. I . . ."

Acyr frowned. _What_ did he just call the mouse? 'Real'? Why had he called the mouse 'Real'? Was that its name? It made no sense, why would Acyr have named the mouse 'Real'? Nonetheless, it felt right. Acyr shrugged it off as he reached into his pocket, grabbing out a walnut. As he crushed the walnut and handed the meat of the nut to Real, he pondered the idea. "So that mouse is your pet? You have _issues._"

Acyr looked up to see Husky looking at him like he was crazy. When Nana hit Husky though, Acyr could only chuckle as Nana reprimanded Husky. "_**Husky! Be polite!**_"

Acyr looked at everyone's reactions now. He couldn't really tell what Nana's reaction was. She seemed both scared of the mouse and furious at Husky for his earlier comment towards Acyr. Senri had a hint of a smile on his face as he looked at Acyr. For a moment, Acyr wondered how Senri had known Real's name.

But as Acyr felt someone breathing on the side of his neck, he noticed that Cooro had gotten a little close for comfort. "That's so _cool!_ Hi little guy, how are-"

Acyr felt Cooro poke Real in the side a little too hard. With a fearful squeak Real moved, and from the cry of pain Cooro gave Acyr had to guess Real had retaliated with his teeth. Cooro immediately backed away, and Acyr turned to see Cooro looking at a slight cut on his finger. "Owie."

Acyr gave a slight grin as he turned to face Cooro. "Sorry. Real doesn't appear to like strangers getting too close."

Cooro almost got Acyr to laugh when he looked up at Acyr, clearly having forgotten about the cut already. "Hmm? You don't know for sure?"

Acyr sighed as he nodded. "I don't remember anything about my past. Fortunately, Senri knows my name, so at least I can do a proper introduction. Name's Acyr."

Cooro's eyes immediately lit up as a smile erupted on his face. "I'm Cooro, it's very nice to meet you!"

Acyr continued to smile as he looked at Cooro. Even though Cooro was about two years younger than Acyr, Acyr had to admit he enjoyed Cooro's personality. But he was surprised when he looked at Cooro's bare shoulder, and found himself looking at a +Anima mark. "Hmm? You're a +Anima?"

Cooro smiled, and to Acyr's surprise two wings suddenly grew from Cooro's back. Acyr looked Cooro over, and was even more surprised to see that Cooro's arms were now covered in feathers, and that a few of the feathers stuck out at right angles from Cooro's arms. Acyr had to admit he was surprised that Cooro's +Anima form actually caused him to _grow_ wings instead of turn his arms into wings, but overall it looked to be pretty handy.

Acyr was going to say more, but Shad cleared his throat. "Hey Cooro, I still need to get my kite down to the shack. If it's not too much to ask-"

Acyr grinned as Cooro interrupted with a sparkle in his eyes. "Do you need help?"

Shad smiled at Cooro, and soon Acyr, Husky, Nana, and Senri were walking behind Cooro and Shad as they carried the _huge_ kite down the mountain trail. On the way down, Acyr saw Husky look at Real quite a few times. Acyr grinned as Husky shivered. "Are you _certain _you're a guy? That shriek before was really"

Acyr dashed ahead of the group as Husky's hand went to his staff. "_**God DAMN You Acyr! I'M A GUY!**_"

Acyr simply laughed as Husky chased him down the mountain, the two of them darting past a clearly surprised Cooro and a clearly surprised Shad.

* * *

><p>Now, would Husky really shriek if he saw a mouse? I have no idea, but for the sake of the joke I'm going to say 'yes'.<p>

To anyone wondering why I keep on harassing Husky, remember that he was introduced as the Mermaid Princess. Now look me in the face and _sincerely_ tell me that I'm going too far with my harassment of him. I don't care that he's a fictional character set in this world I would LOVE to live in, if he didn't want to be picked on then he wouldn't have agreed to be the mermaid princess. Because he totally had a choice :)

This is the only planned interaction with the main characters, and it's really flying by. So if I am a little slow in updates, it's because I'm very disheartened at the idea from moving on from this part. (Well, that and I'm also very absent-minded and lazy, but I'm not going to say that out loud) :3


	44. Cooro Time

Alright, now it's time to let Cooro get some screen time!

* * *

><p><em>1st hour<em>

_My name is acyr, I do not know any thing more a bout who I am._

Acyr frowned as he looked at what he had written. Why was it so hard for him to write? The words meant so little to him, and they looked so strange. But . . . something didn't look right with his name.

With a sigh he looked up from the journal. Cooro's group was currently having an argument over what they should do next. Nana seemed to want Acyr to go with them, at least so they could try to help him with his memory. Husky, in no small part due to Acyr picking on him about the gender confusion, stated that Acyr could 'get his own damn memory back'. Senri seemed to be siding with Nana, and Cooro . . . wait, where was-

"Hi again!"

Acyr had to bite back a yelp as he turned around, finding that Cooro was standing behind him. After his heartbeat got down to a manageable level, Acyr noticed Cooro was holding two things of goat cheese. Acyr grinned as he reached for one, and Cooro handed it to him. The two of them ate for a while, and Cooro spoke to Acyr as he did. "So, is anything coming back?"

Acyr sighed before shaking his head. "No, nothing. I can't even begin to figure out why I was in the forest, besides for . . . well, that one girl. Far as I can tell, I could have been her slave for a long time."

Acyr soon looked back at the journal Shad had given him. Shad had told Acyr that he should write down what he remembered, so he could keep his thoughts straight. But what neither of them had expected was how lousy of a writer Acyr was.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to spell, it was just . . . he didn't really feel like he knew all too much what he was doing. "I just . . . I don't know who I am. It feels so strange, sometimes I feel something, but it never tells me what I was doing. I thought that I would eventually start seeing memories or something, but that hasn't happened yet."

Acyr didn't mean to sound as upset as he felt, but he couldn't hide it well. It felt so awful to him, all he knew was how to make rope, he had at some point gotten a pet mouse . . . and even now, looking at his name written down . . . it didn't _feel_ like it was his name. It just felt wrong.

He was surprised when Cooro put a light hand on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Come on, cheer up! Uh-here, goat cheese makes everything better!"

As he spoke, Cooro tried to hand over some of his goat cheese. Unfortunately for Acyr, Cooro's middle name didn't appear to be 'grace', and soon the journal was ruined and covered with goat cheese. Cooro blushed intensely as he apologized, but Acyr almost forgot about it. A bit of the cheese had landed in front of his written name and Acyr felt something inside of him stir.

The cheese wasn't formed into a perfect letter, but it looked a good deal like a Z. Wait a second, _that was it!_ Acyr felt his face light up, and he quickly went to the bottom of the journal, which wasn't ruined like the rest of it was. He quickly wrote down what he saw on the top.

_My name is Zacyr_

"That's it! That's why it didn't look right! My name's spelt with a Z in front of it!"

Zacyr couldn't believe how delighted he felt. This wasn't the slight tinge of joy he had felt when Senri had told him his name, this truly felt right. Zacyr remembered his name! He grinned broadly at Cooro, who looked surprised. "Well, what do you know? Goat cheese _does_ make everything better!"

Cooro's face immediately lit up with joy. "Yeah! Here, let's get some more!"

Zacyr laughed, but obligingly followed Cooro to Shad's shack. Soon the two of them left with a bit more cheese, although Shad mentioned to them that this was going to be the last one he could afford to give away to them. Still, Zacyr was in a very good mood as he and Cooro sat back down to think this through.

Zacyr still had no idea about his past, but the two of them decided to look at what they _did_ know to figure it out. "Let's see here . . . I can make a special type of rope that's both springy yet strong, and I have a pet mouse. I can also weave clothing using the same material that I use for rope."

Cooro smiled at Zacyr, his eyes practically glowing with energy. "Well, I think you could make a living by selling your own special rope! Maybe it's a family tradition that's been passed down for generations!"

Zacyr was surprised when he thought about that. It actually made pretty good sense. Not only that, it felt right. "Yeah, that could be it."

As Zacyr continued to think about it, Cooro suddenly gave a slight cry of shock. "Hey, that scar on your hand . . ."

Zacyr gave a slight grin as he looked down at the strange scar on his hand. "Yeah, it's in the form of a rope or something. But it looks a lot like I was branded with red-hot iron."

Zacyr flinched when Cooro's eyes suddenly lit up. "I get it! You make your own rope, you have a scar from touching really hot rope . . . you're from the circus!"

Wait, _what?_ Zacyr cocked his head, but before he could ask Cooro went into an explanation . . . sort of. "That explains it! You probably came from the same circus that Husky did! You must have been in a different tent, because you were from the hot-wire act while Husky-"

_Oh, _so _that_ was where Cooro was getting mixed up! "It's the _high_-wire act, not the _hot-_wire act."

Cooro immediately cocked his head towards one side. "Really? I always thought it was the hot-wire act and that it involved the person jumping through a hoop that was on fire."

Zacyr smiled as he stood up. "No, that's a different act. The high-wire act involves the performer walking across a wire and being over one hundred feet in the air. Personally, I don't see what's so special about it."

Cooro smiled at Zacyr, a sparkle in his eyes. "Could you show me?"

Zacyr sighed, thinking about it for a moment. Well, why not? It wasn't like it was all that dangerous, especially since Cooro could catch him if he fell off. "Sure, I'll even do it for free."

Cooro's eyes lit up with joy, which got Zacyr to laugh. Soon Zacyr had chosen a spot to do it, from the chimney of Shad's shack to a tree not far away. It really didn't worry Zacyr that it was about twenty or twenty-five feet off the ground, somewhere around that amount. Maybe if he had thought about it a little bit harder, he would have realized that most people wouldn't see it like that.

But Zacyr was going off of what he believed, and it wasn't long before he was calmly walking down a 'wire' made by his rope with no real fear of the ground. He didn't really see anything too spectacular with the high-wire trick, he was just as capable of doing it as any circus performer was. However, Cooro was delighted by the trick. Soon, the two of them were side-by side, Zacyr pacing back and forth across the rope as Cooro flew next to him.

Zacyr only realized the significance of his actions when Cooro said that Zacyr _must_ have been a high-wire circus performer. Zacyr frowned as he tried to remember, but . . . no, it just didn't feel right. Before he could tell Cooro that, Cooro surprised him by going into an excited monologue.

"Okay, so you were a circus performer. So you must have been in the circus with Husky! After all, it's really obvious the two of you get along really well."

"Actually-"

"And since I freed Husky from the circus, you must have been sent by the ringleader to go after us! Because the ringleader had taken some important object from you - probably your pet mouse - you had no choice but to obey him."

"I don't think-"

"So after that, you would have been on the road for a few days before you suddenly realized that you _didn't_ have to force Husky to go back to the circus."

"So you found Husky at-"

Zacyr didn't really know why he was trying to butt in. Cooro was clearly excited as he played detective, not realizing that what he was saying probably hadn't happened. "So you then went back and managed to free Real from the ringmaster. When he realized you had taken Real he must have understood that he had no way to get you back, so he sent that girl after you. The two of you must have been related, and the ringmaster thought that would keep the girl from hurting you! So for weeks, you ran from the girl as she tried to catch up to you, because you knew that she would try to turn you into her slave. But finally - in the very forest that Senri found you in - she caught up to you. In an evil plot to take Shad's goat cheese the girl believed that she could use you as a hostage. But after she forcefully gave you amnesia, Senri suddenly showed up and was all like 'How dare you do this to your fellow human?' And the girl-"

"_Hold it!_"

Zacyr sighed as Cooro finally stopped. He could only smile at Cooro as he spoke. "I think the biggest issue you have with your idea is that Senri doesn't say that many words in one go. Also, I don't think the girl could have been a circus performer."

Cooro only gave an 'oh' as he looked the other way. Zacyr was surprised when he felt guilt, and decided to slightly change the subject. "So you keep saying that Husky's from the circus. What did he do there?"

* * *

><p>Cooro is one of my favorite characters. I love his childish personality.<p> 


	45. To Mourn The Wicked

No matter how cruel someone is, no matter how 'evil' someone could be, there is _always_ a reason for the way that they act.

* * *

><p>Kesi sighed as he hugged himself. Everything felt so wrong. The two groups had merged, Edreg had finally let go of his hatred for Zacyr. The new group had searched for Zacyr all day, and now they were all around the same fireplace, eating the same food and even conversing with each other.<p>

Not Kesi, though. He was staying away from the fireplace, shutting himself in his mind. How could the world still turn, how could others feel joy at this time? He didn't understand, it was like no one understood that something awful had happened today.

Rudeg had died.

Kesi still couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. But Rudeg was his best friend! The two of them had been through so much! She was always there for him! He didn't know what to do, nothing made sense anymore! Why had she been forced to leave the world? How could death have taken her? Why couldn't it have been _Kesi_ who had died?

"Kesi?"

Kesi focused for a moment, wiping tears out of his eyes, to find Kshtsi standing near Kesi. Kshtsi had a sad smile on his face as he sat next to Kesi. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kesi simply shook his head, not willing to use his mouth. He felt like he was sinking into the very earth itself. However, Kshtsi didn't leave. "Talking will make you feel better."

_That_ got Kesi's attention. He looked up at Kshtsi with shock, and was even more shocked when Edreg sat down on the other side of Kesi. "We're here for you."

Kesi looked at them for a bit, completely baffled at the entire change in their personalities. Edreg had never really thought much of Kesi, and Kshtsi used to be Kesi's enemy. But now here they were, all of them in the same area. It confused him so much. Not only that . . . ugh, Kesi felt so stressed . . .

"I miss her already. I . . ."

Kesi looked away, more tears forming. Edreg got Kesi by surprise when he spoke gently to Kesi. "Kesi, I . . . I just want to know this. You're such a quiet guy, and I like that about you. But you were inseparable from Rudeg. I guess my question is . . . how did such a quiet guy become friends with someone so . . . outgoing?"

In spite of himself, Kesi gave a weak smile. "Rudeg found me. I've been a thief for as long as I can remember. I tried so hard to find my way in the world, but the world always kicked me out. I was a +Anima, and no one cared for me. Those that found out that I was a +Anima always wanted me to die. I always had to run for my life."

Kesi sighed before he continued. He remembered those days so well. "I always hated being a +Anima. I always thought that if I was normal, people would care for me. Maybe I could have made a life for myself. Perhaps I could even have learned what had happened to my parents. It was . . . it was a hell like no other. I was always alone no matter where I was. That was always the worst part. No one cared at all, those that knew me wanted me dead so I would stop stealing from them . . . it was awful."

Kesi wiped a tear from his eye. "Then came the day I almost _did_ die. I was backed into a corner with no way out. If I had been honest with myself, I was _hoping_ I was going to die. But that was when Rudeg intervened."

Kesi soon looked up at the sky, a slight smile growing on his face. "She saw me, and she wasn't afraid. She didn't want me dead, and from the beginning . . . she cared. She _preferred_ that I was a +Anima, and she gave me a purpose. I wanted to help her, and she always let me stay. She always told me that I was amazing, a person that could let go of their hatred with no more thought to it than swatting away a fly. Rudeg always told me that she _envied_ me, a boy shunned by all humans, because I could always forgive them afterwards. Rudeg not only was hated by humans, she was hated by +Anima for her beliefs."

Kesi gulped as he continued to stare at the sky. "She knew she was different. She told me so many times how she tried to change, but each and every time . . . she couldn't let go of her hatred for the world. She felt that it was all her mentor's fault, that his loathing of humans corrupted her beyond redemption."

Kesi didn't speak for a little bit. He was too lost in the facts Rudeg had told him about her tortured past. When he did start speaking, he almost didn't realize he was speaking. "Rudeg's mother died in childbirth. Sidas didn't want a child, so he abandoned Rudeg in the forest. That was where she was found by a vulture +Anima. He almost killed her, but Rudeg somehow turned into a +Anima. She's been a +Anima since before her first birthday. The vulture +Anima then raised her like a daughter, teaching her how to turns humans into slaves and forcing his religion on her."

Kesi was surprised when Edreg shivered. "So she never had a choice?"

Kesi gulped before he nodded. "When she was eight, she asked the vulture +Anima if it was possible for humans to be good. The vulture +Anima responded by tossing her to his male slaves, who . . . violated her. She never questioned it afterwards, and every time that she tried to think otherwise the memory of her being violated always came to her mind."

Kshtsi shivered, but Kesi decided he could continue. "Eventually, the slaves turned against them. The vulture +Anima tried to fly away, abandoning Rudeg to the angry slaves, but their slaves killed the vulture +Anima with a well-aimed spear. Rudeg ran for her life, and attempted to start a new life."

Kesi gulped again. "But it was too late. She had been in her +Anima form so long that she couldn't remember how to change back. To make matters worse, the slaves quickly told every village nearby about how Rudeg had used them as slaves. Rudeg was never given a chance to redeem herself. Eventually, she decided that if the world was going to treat her as a monster, she may as well act like one and reap the benefits. By the time she found me, it was just too hard for her to forgive humans for what had happened to her.

"That's why we were friends. I wasn't afraid of her, I was the only one who didn't see her as a monster. She . . . she used to tell me how she always felt like she was watching someone else, that she felt like she was possessed by a demon. When I heard of the Kim-un-kur, the two of us searched for them to learn how to cure her of this demon. We eventually found them, and . . . they tried their best. They sincerely tried to cure her, but they couldn't. Eventually, they explained that she wasn't possessed by anything, that there was no way to remove the hatred from her."

Kesi gulped yet again. "It hurt her badly. Her final hope had failed. She couldn't be saved, she held far too much anger for them to remove. Rudeg ran away from the Kim-un-kur, and I tried to follow. But the Kim-un-kur told me something. They told me to stay near her. They told me that if I was cautious and patient, if I allowed the part of her soul that feared her sadistic side to manifest . . . maybe that part could cast out her sadistic side by itself."

Kesi shivered before he looked at Edreg. "She tried to run away from me. She was scared that she might hurt me, so she tried to remove herself from my life. I finally caught up to her in the same town you found us in, and learned that she had finally given in. She was killing a person every night, and eventually . . . well, you and Cody found us. You told us how you wanted Zacyr dead, and Rudeg immediately offered to come with. I only learned later that during the time she had tried to remove herself from my life, she learned that her father had been killed by Zacyr."

Edreg shuddered. "So she wanted to enslave Zacyr in Sidas' place. But why did she want to enslave Sidas?"

Kesi gulped again. "It was going to be her only good deed. She wanted to stop the most evil person in the world, believing that would cause the world to understand that she truly _did_ have good intentions. But after being by herself for so long, that determination turned into an obsession, a desire to have her own slave that would do what she wanted . . . she was in really bad mental shape before she found me. I . . . I guess I should be happy for her. Hopefully in death, she'll find the peace the world denied her."

Edreg sighed, before a slight smile came to his lips. Kesi and Kshtsi both looked at Edreg with confusion as Edreg continued to smile at Kesi. "Rudeg _did_ a good deed. As you said, you're still here. As you said, she saved you a lot of times. I'm certain that she didn't want you to be upset, and that she would want you to move on in life."

Kesi gave a light smile. "Y-yeah. I just . . ."

Kesi trailed off as he looked away from them. He still missed Rudeg, but for right now . . . Edreg eventually sighed as he looked up at the sky. "We have to find Zacyr. If there's any chance that he's still able to recover . . . we have to try."

Kesi nodded to that. Eventually though, everyone agreed that they should sleep through the night. Kesi smiled when Edreg and Dancing Shadow slept next to him. Maybe . . . maybe he wasn't alone after all. Kesi soon went to sleep, still with a slight smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Out of all my OCs for this story (so far at least), Rudeg's past was the hardest one to make. I wanted to find a reason someone would be a monster, and it took me forever to reach my answer. What do you do if the world sees you as a monster, and gives no chance of redemption? Rudeg grew so stressed that she eventually gave in. The world wanted her to be a monster, so that was what the world got her to be. Everyone feared Rudeg, even herself. Perhaps she knew that humans were equal to +Anima, but in the end she couldn't let go of her rage, and it consumed her.<p>

Before I forget: no, I really don't have a schedule. I try for a chapter a day, but that takes its toll on me, so I don't always make it.


	46. Karma

Hello again!

This one took a bit longer to make than I expected. Sorry about that.

* * *

><p>Zacyr slowly came back to consciousness. Ugh, was it morning already? He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, maybe he could sleep in for a bit longer. Through the haze of his still-awakening mind, Zacyr heard two people speaking to each other. If Zacyr was able to focus a bit more, he would possibly have noticed that it was Shad and Nana. He may also have noticed that they were trying hard not to laugh.<p>

"Zacyr and Husky, I see you two have become friends."

Both Husky and Zacyr spoke at the same time, sleepily. "What are you-"

They both stopped speaking as they became aware of each other's locations. Zacyr's eyes flew open in shock. He saw Husky's face inches from his own, Husky's eyes also open in shock as they realized they were both wrapping an arm around the other. They immediately separated, both of them blushing _furiously_. If anyone had walked in on them, it would have looked like they were _embracing_ each other!

Zacyr blushed as both Nana and Shad burst out into laughter. Since Shad had allowed them to stay the night, everyone had slept in the same room. Husky and Zacyr had gotten stuck sleeping next to each other. Apparently during the night they had turned to face each other, wrapped an arm around each other, and even inched closer.

Zacyr and Husky eventually got up, both refusing to look at each other. Zacyr was so embarrassed, how . . . that was _so _embarrassing! Nana and Shad appeared to be enjoying their embarrassment, considering how hard they were laughing. Just as Nana and Shad got a hold on themselves, Zacyr heard Cooro speak up. "Oh."

Everyone turned to face Cooro, who blushed. "Sorry, Husky and Zacyr. I didn't know the two of you went . . . well, _that_ way."

Both Husky and Zacyr spoke up quickly. "_**WE DON'T!**_"

Cooro surprised Zacyr by smiling at them. "It's okay, I won't tell you who you can and can't fall in love with. I was just really surprised, you two hid it _really_ well."

Zacyr put a hand to his head. He wasn't that surprised to find that his face was really warm. "Cooro, we _don't_ go that way. We . . . that wasn't supposed to happen."

Cooro smiled, which told Zacyr that Cooro didn't believe it. "Its okay, your secret's safe with me. So Shad, can we have more of that yummy cheese?"

Shad chuckled before he nodded, and soon each person was eating some cheese. During the 'meal', Husky and Zacyr refused to look at each other. Zacyr felt so embarrassed, how could he-

When Zacyr looked down at his hands his blood suddenly turned to ice, and the hairs on the back of his head stood up. He immediately leapt to his feet with a yelp and slapped the disgusting, hairy creature off of his arm. "_**SPIDER!**_"

Zacyr backed away from the spider, it was _huge_ and _extremely_ creepy! He refused to take his eyes off of it, too afraid that it might try to climb up his arm again. Eventually Senri's foot came into view, and he casually crushed the spider under his foot. As Zacyr's heart rate slowly lowered to a more acceptable level, he heard Husky laughing hysterically.

Zacyr blushed again when Husky pointed a finger at him, laughing pretty hard. "_You are afraid of spiders!_ Who's the girly one _now?_"

Zacyr blushed even more intensely as Husky continued to laugh. "Hey, that's not-"

"Oh!"

Everyone turned to face Cooro again, and Zacyr sighed. Cooro spoke, sounding really shocked. "So you are a girl? I thought you were a guy!"

Zacyr immediately shook his head. "_What?_"

"I'm so sorry! It was just . . . I-I shouldn't have assumed!"

Zacyr tried to explain to Cooro that he _was_ a guy, but his voice was drowned out by everyone else's laughter. All he managed to do was confuse Cooro more, and eventually he decided to let Cooro's group members explain it. After saying that he needed time to be alone Zacyr made a beeline for the door.

Of course, he was too embarrassed to hear the footsteps rapidly approaching from outside. When Zacyr reached for the doorknob, the door practically _detonated_. Zacyr paled as a large insect claw appeared through the flying rubble and slammed into his gut, tossing him all the way to the wall on the other side of the shack. Before he even hit the ground, Zacyr got a good look at his attacker.

It was a girl about his age, with black hair and purple eyes. She looked _pissed _at him, and Zacyr began to wonder if this was the same girl that Senri had saved him from earlier. As Zacyr hit the ground, the girl raced over to him and introduced her claw to his head with enough force to disorient him. "_**I was scared to DEATH that Rudeg had turned you into a mindless slave and just look at this! You were up here eating CHEESE?**_ God _**DAMN**_ you Zacyr! Don't _ever_ make me worry like that again!"

As the girl spoke, Senri raced towards her with his +Anima arm showing. Without even looking away from Zacyr, the girl revealed a stinger, which quickly embedded itself into Senri's arm. The girl then held Senri still, and after a few moments she swung her arm at him. Senri went flying, and landed in a crumpled heap. As Nana, Husky, and Cooro went over by Senri the girl roughly shook Zacyr back and forth. "_**DO YOU HEAR ME?**_"

Zacyr simply nodded, trying his hardest to not be afraid. The girl smiled, and soon her +Anima traits disappeared. Zacyr only got a few seconds to breathe, his confused mind trying to figure out what was happening, before the girl effortlessly lifted him off of the ground and wrapped him in a hug that was almost strong enough to break his ribs. "_**I WAS SO WORRIED!**_"

Zacyr couldn't make an intelligible response. He was having the worst time trying to breathe, she was _suffocating_ him! Just as Zacyr almost began to lose consciousness, the girl let go of him. Zacyr's legs refused to hold his weight, so he was soon on the ground and breathing deeply, his lungs singing out in relief. "I am _so_ glad you are okay, Zacyr."

Zacyr couldn't help but grin at that. The girl either didn't know her own strength, or else she meant the whole slavery thing with the other girl. Either way, Zacyr had the strangest notion that this girl knew him. Okay, so how could he break it to her that he didn't recognize her at all? Hmm . . .

Fortunately for Zacyr, Shad came to the rescue. "Uhm, excuse me?"

The girl shot a vicious glare at Shad, who winced. It was a while before Shad continued, Zacyr figured that he was trying to see if the girl was going to attack him or not. "Well . . . how do I say this . . . Zacyr has amnesia."

The girl flinched before looking back at Zacyr. Zacyr was surprised when the girl blushed and rubbed one of her arms. "Oh. Uh . . . Zacyr, you . . . _do_ know who I am, right?"

Zacyr looked away, blushing at the question. "Well . . . no."

* * *

><p>I figured it was time to stop harassing Husky, and to have Zacyr be the butt of a few jokes for once. Sarysi's abrupt appearance was just icing on the cake.<p> 


	47. Tearful Reunion

Reunited at last!

* * *

><p>Kshtsi sighed as he shook his head. He had to analyze the current situation. He and Tachine were currently standing outside the house of a villager, with the owner standing in the doorway and speaking to Tachine. Tachine was busy trying to convince the man that she had not stolen gold from him even though she had obtained a new bag full of gold that somehow had that villager's <em>name<em> written on it.

Dancing Shadow, Kesi, and Edreg had decided to travel to the next town to see if Zacyr had decided to wait for his group in the next area. Sarysi had woken up before anyone else and for some reason had left the clearing they had been staying in. Currently, Kshtsi only knew that he and Tachine hadn't found Zacyr yet. Eventually, Kshtsi focused on Tachine's conversation with the villager. She was concluding a story that Kshtsi knew quite well was completely made up. "And _that's_ why this bag disappeared yesterday. I found it, and was actually trying to return it. So it's just a simple misunderstanding, okay?"

The villager was clearly not fooled. "Look lady, I _know_ I had it before you showed up. It didn't go missing _yesterday_, it disappeared this _morning_. Coincidentally, I found you snooping around with the exact same bag of gold in your hands _five seconds_ after the bag's disappearance. While _yes_ you may have found it, I also noticed that you were fleeing from me, as if you didn't want me to catch you doing something you knew you _shouldn't_ be doing."

"There's a logical explanation for that."

Kshtsi put a hand to his head. "Tachine, just return the damn bag."

Tachine eyed Kshtsi angrily, but eventually held out the bag while grumbling to herself. "As I already said, that's what I was _trying_ to do. After all, we're still looking for a group member of ours that went missing a few days ago. I wouldn't do something as cruel as prioritize money over finding him!"

Kshtsi sighed as he turned to look at the villager. "Look, I'm really sorry about this. When she sees something shiny, she . . . well, I'm really sorry."

It was only after Kshtsi's apology that he noticed the villager looked like he was in deep thought. "So _are_ you two looking for a lost group member? Hmm . . ."

Kshtsi flinched as he walked a little bit closer to the doorway. Just when he was about to speak, the man held up his hand to stop him. Kshtsi immediately complied, and the man sighed. "Yesterday, a Kimunkle named Senri found a boy in the forest. The boy introduced himself as Zacyr, although he looked rather unsure of himself."

Kshtsi and Tachine immediately looked at each other in shock before smiling. "_He's alright!_ Oh, thank _god!_"

While they were about to ask where Zacyr had gone, the man cleared his throat. "It depends on what you mean by alright. Physically, he's recovered pretty well. However, he has complete amnesia. He mentioned that he can't remember _anything_ about his past."

Kshtsi's heart plummeted. "But . . . you don't mean . . . he can't . . . b-but he _has_ to remember us! Tachine, Sarysi and I have been traveling with him for a while now, _how could he just forget about us?_"

The villager shrugged. "Apparently all he can remember was a girl's voice telling him that he was her slave and that all humans were slaves to +Anima. My guess is that she tortured him to the point that he lost his memory. I'm just saying that if you plan on speaking to him, don't do anything rash. There's a possibility that he won't recognize you."

Kshtsi gulped, but Tachine simply shook her head. "No, that . . . seeing us will probably cause him to remember. Even if he doesn't, we know enough about him that he won't just believe we're strangers."

Kshtsi looked at Tachine, who grinned before whispering to him. "_Even if his memory's gone, his extra arms __**have**__ to be there. All we have to do is say that he has six arms, and he'll believe us._"

Kshtsi raised an eyebrow, but Tachine ignored him. "So where is Zacyr now?"

The man pointed at a path that led a little bit up the mountain, towards what looked like a shack. Tachine immediately thanked him before sprinting up the path towards the shack. Kshtsi sighed in both relief and annoyance, but turned back to face the villager. "Look, I'm really sorry about her earlier antiques. She hasn't resorted to stealing for a while, I forgot that she does that sometimes."

The man gave a light grin before nodding towards the shack. "Zacyr and Senri have met before. Senri gave him a few white flowers, and Zacyr almost immediately made a rope, then he made a shirt to wear."

Kshtsi grinned for a moment before the reality of the situation sank in. "Wait, why did he make himself a shirt?"

Kshtsi cocked his head as the villager shrugged. "The one +Anima that tried to turn him into a slave tore his old shirt up to make a blindfold, or something. My guess is that he didn't want to go around without a shirt on."

Kshtsi almost felt his heart stop. Zacyr had no shirt on when he was found, but the villager failed to mention that Zacyr had six arms? Something wasn't right here. "Um . . . was there anything . . . _bizarre_ about Zacyr when he didn't have his shirt on? Just . . . something that didn't seem natural?"

The villager frowned before looking around. "Bizarre how? Between you and your friend, _you_ are the one that I'd expect to be telling me the truth."

Kshtsi gulped as he looked towards the side. "Zacyr asked us to keep it a secret, but . . . look, something's wrong here. He . . . I think you would have told me by now if you had seen it, it's pretty hard to miss. I don't understand how we could be thinking about the same person."

The villager frowned. "Hmm . . . was it something a bandage could hide? His torso from his shoulders down was tightly wrapped in a bandage. He said that his sides kept hurting him, so he was thinking he had open wounds on his sides."

No. "I don't believe it. _Rudeg actually __**sliced them off**__?_ If he doesn't remember having six-uh, _them_, and if Tachine's idea of proving that she knows him is _telling _him about them-"

Both Kshtsi and the villager turned when they heard the cries of shock. Kshtsi was shocked to see Zacyr walking in their direction with both anger and confusion written on his face. Tachine and Sarysi were following behind him, both of them looking embarrassed and worried. It was only when Kshtsi saw that Zacyr was wearing the remains of a shirt that must have been sliced apart that he realized what must have happened. Both Tachine and Sarysi were clearly panicking, trying to get Zacyr to stop walking away. "Zacyr, just listen to us!"

Kshtsi wasn't all that surprised when Zacyr turned around and glared at both Tachine and Sarysi. "Oh? Well let's think about this. So far, Senri's the only person that has _proved_ he knows who I am! All that I know of you two is that Sarysi attacks me for no reason whatsoever, Tachine thinks that _I'm_ the crazy one because I don't recognize the two of you in the slightest, and then what did you say when I confessed that I don't believe I was in your group, Tachine? _You told me that I have six arms! _And when I said that I don't, Sarysi, you _sliced my shirt in half_ in an attempt to prove me wrong!"

Kshtsi sighed as he shook his head. Yeah, this was going bad. Tachine spoke next to Zacyr. "Look, we'll help you find a way to get your memory back! Then you'll know what we meant by that! Just-"

Zacyr surprised Kshtsi when he shook his head. "No, I will _not_ go with you two! I highly doubt that going with two insane girls is going to get my memory back! To top it all off, Tachine, _your_ voice sounds a lot like _hers_ did! How do I know that this isn't all a trick? You haven't given me _any_ proof that the two of you aren't just going to tie me up and preach about how humans serve +Anima! _Now leave me alone!_"

Both Sarysi and Tachine tried to continue following Zacyr. When Sarysi asked Zacyr how he would get his memory back, Kshtsi was shocked when Zacyr turned around and _viciously_ glared at Sarysi. "If I was actually in a group with you two, then there's a _damn _good reason the memory's repressed! Now leave me in peace, you _bastards!_"

Both Tachine and Sarysi froze in shock as Zacyr wheeled himself around and made for the forest. As Kshtsi walked up to Tachine and Sarysi, Zacyr stormed off into a nearby forest. He was shocked to see just how distraught the two girls were. Tachine looked like she wanted to cry, and Sarysi had tears flowing from her eyes. It was only after Kshtsi promised to do his best to explain this all to Zacyr that they calmed down, although Sarysi still looked _very_ upset.

Soon Kshtsi asked for them to explain what had happened. Sarysi blushed as she told Kshtsi how Real had appeared and led her to Zacyr's position. When she realized he was perfectly fine and eating cheese, she had punished him for making her worry. It was only after she hit him across the room, hit him hard in the head, and almost crushed him in a bear hug that she learned he had amnesia.

Not long after that, Tachine had dashed up to the shack, both delighted to see Zacyr and amused to see Sarysi had already found him. When Zacyr asked who Tachine was, she felt insulted and responded by demanding to know how Zacyr couldn't remember them.

Then both Tachine and Sarysi had spoken to each other, and remembered how Zacyr had six arms. After Tachine told Zacyr that, which Zacyr vehemently denied, Sarysi had cut through Zacyr's shirt to make him reveal his arms. They had both been extremely shocked to find a large bandage around Zacyr's lower torso, and Zacyr's extra arms were gone.

Zacyr had gotten angry at the two of them for attacking him both verbally and physically, and what was supposed to be undeniable proof that they knew him instead caused Zacyr to believe that both Tachine and Sarysi were insane. Now Zacyr was going to go to the next town and look for people that knew him who were _sane_. Kshtsi sighed at that. Zacyr had decided not to travel with them, and was already on his way to a different area. Still . . . Kshtsi had to try to sort this out. He owed that much to Zacyr.

Kshtsi absentmindedly told the two girls that he'd be back before going into the forest. He had to try to find Zacyr. At the very most he could help Zacyr get some of his memory back and at the very least he could wish Zacyr luck in his travels. He wasn't about to force Zacyr to come with, that was Zacyr's own choice.

Of course, the issue was catching up with him. Kshtsi knew full well that Zacyr was faster than him when it came to navigating the forest. Still, he tried. He traveled through the forest, trying to think like Zacyr would. Where would he have gone? As Kshtsi passed underneath a tree, he jumped when he heard a voice above him. "Let me guess. You know me too?"

Kshtsi looked up, and was both delighted and worried to see Zacyr standing on a branch and eyeing Kshtsi. Kshtsi was shocked at how much it hurt to see Zacyr treating him like a stranger, but he soon got a hold on himself. "Zacyr, I . . . if you have a moment, could we talk to each other?"

Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr gave a slight grin. Soon Zacyr and Kshtsi were walking through the forest, side by side. Zacyr was the one that started the conversation. "You . . . you look familiar to me. You don't . . . I don't feel nervous at all when I see you."

Kshtsi gave a slight grin. Was that part of the reason Zacyr didn't trust Sarysi and Tachine? After all, Tachine _had_ tried to kill him once, and Sarysi wasn't exactly gentle. "I wouldn't ever do anything to cause you harm. We're friends."

He couldn't have been more delighted when Zacyr gave him a natural smile. "Yeah, that sounds right."

For a little bit neither of them spoke. This was extremely awkward for both of them. Zacyr clearly wasn't remembering _who_ Kshtsi was, just that they were friends. Eventually though, Zacyr spoke again. "What about Sarysi and Tachine? Were they friends with us too?"

Kshtsi gave a slight nod. When he realized Zacyr hadn't seen it, he went vocal. "Tachine and you started out rough. But after a while, you both apologized to each other. Sarysi, now . . . you and her were more than friends. She helped us out of a tight spot, and after she did both Tachine and I were . . . put off by her more violent personality. We wanted to leave her on her own, but you walked right up to us, told us off for judging Sarysi just by her looks, and then offered Sarysi a place in our group."

Kshtsi sighed when he saw the shock on Zacyr's face. "The two of you are actually rather close, Zacyr. She's a bit more . . . _physical_ than most people, but you never let that upset you. You really hurt her when you shouted at her like that."

Zacyr blushed as he looked the other way. "Hey, I've had a lot on my mind. Still, I think that my reaction was perfectly acceptable for having been ambushed, attacked, then crushed in a hug. And this was _before_ the claim that I had six arms! I _still_ don't know how anyone could have expected me to fall for that!"

Kshtsi sighed, shaking his head. How should he approach this one? He wanted to just skip past it, but unfortunately for him Zacyr made it obvious he noticed Kshtsi's reaction. "Hmm? Don't tell me you think I had six arms too. That's just not poss-"

Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr cut off. When Kshtsi looked around, he realized they had gotten to a stream. Zacyr seemed to be deep in thought, and began mumbling to himself. "I wonder . . ."

Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr began walking next to the stream. Kshtsi followed him, not that upset that Zacyr was thinking about something. Eventually Zacyr stopped, looking around. "This is where Senri found me. I wonder . . . that one girl made me memorize the path from here to her. Let's see what she didn't want me to see."

Before Kshtsi could say otherwise, he found himself following Zacyr, who was mumbling to himself. "Twenty feet this way, around the bush, over that rock, keep going down until that spot with the root coming out of the ground, then turn right and walk until she tells me to stop . . . which I know to be about a hundred feet down . . ."

After passing all the landmarks that Zacyr noted, Kshtsi and Zacyr soon entered a clearing. Both of them paled as they looked around, this must have been where Rudeg had tortured Zacyr. The ground was still red with blood, and as Kshtsi looked around the area he tried to comprehend the horror of the situation.

Eight branches had Zacyr's white rope attached to them, each one of a varying length. From what Kshtsi could tell, they were just long enough that they could suspend a person with eight limbs in the middle of the clearing. And hanging from four of those ropes were the arms Zacyr no longer had.

Kshtsi turned when he heard Zacyr grunt in pain. He found Zacyr leaning against a tree, holding onto his head. Just when Kshtsi was worried for Zacyr's health, Zacyr abruptly shook his head and looked around again. After a bit, he looked at Kshtsi and gave a light grin. "Kshtsi . . . I remember now. I remember you, I remember Tachine, I remember Sarysi! I remember everything that's happened since I met you, _I remember!_"

Kshtsi couldn't help but smile, until Zacyr frowned and looked the other way. "And I just chewed Tachine and Sarysi out for telling me the truth. I _did_ have six arms. I . . ."

Kshtsi gave a slight smile. "The first thing to do is to apologize. We'll figure out how the hell you had six arms after-"

"No need."

Kshtsi flinched as Zacyr looked at Kshtsi. "I . . . I have a lot to tell you. But I want to tell the whole group, alright?"

After Kshtsi nodded, Zacyr walked over to a rock and reached behind it. "But first, I want to find out the truth of what Rudeg said."

Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr stood up, and showed that he now had a notebook in his hands. "Here we are, this is the notebook she kept writing in. Let's get back to the group. I'll look at this later."

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><p>To those curious about where Cooro's group is, they're busy trying to find out why Senri can't move (he was stung by Sarysi in the last chapter :)<p>

It feels like I rushed it a bit, with the abrupt loss of amnesia. The main idea is that he needed to see a specific thing to get his memory to come back. It turns out his extra arms were the triggers. He still has the repressed memories from before he met Tachine or the others, though.


	48. A Rose So Sweet

Alright, next chapter!

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><p>Sarysi couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. Zacyr wasn't going to come with? B-but he had never had a problem with Sarysi <em>before!<em> Shouldn't there be something . . . j-just, shouldn't he still _remember_? Even if he didn't . . . wasn't it her assertive personality that Zacyr liked?

"I-I'm so embarrassed."

Sarysi turned to see Tachine sitting next to her. The two of them had chosen to sit down on a log as they waited for Kshtsi to come back. Did he manage to convince Zacyr to stay with them, or was Zacyr already gone? Sarysi wasn't certain what would be worse. If Zacyr came back . . . he wasn't the same anymore! The old Zacyr would _never_ have said that, he just . . . "I feel awful."

Sarysi looked at Tachine, trying to keep the tears from falling. "I thought he was the one I could spend forever with. But . . . but now he's . . . he's not the same anymore. He never had a problem with my horseplay before, even when we had just met! He made me feel special. I felt like even with me being the violent girl I am, I may have found the one I could live forever with. But now . . ."

Sarysi's tears would not be denied. Her vision was getting blurry as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Now it doesn't seem as if that's the case. Whether he comes with or not, he's just not the same. I suppose it would be even worse for me, to be hated and feared by one that once loved me. Am I doomed to live alone forever, shunned by one I love even when he once loved me back?"

Looking through teary eyes, Sarysi noticed that Tachine looked completely shocked. "Okay Sarysi, you're starting to weird me out."

In spite of herself, Sarysi felt a small smile appear on her face. It soon vanished as Sarysi's thoughts continued to torment her. What had happened to the sweet boy that didn't care how Sarysi acted? "But _did_ he like me before? Or was it nothing more than a one-sided relationship based exclusively on scaring the other side into submission? I was always so cruel to him, beating the shit out of him whenever I was relieved to find him. I . . . maybe it's best he stays away from me, all I ever do is hurt him. Or maybe"

Sarysi's mind disconnected when two arms wrapped around her from behind. She didn't even need to ask, but . . . she looked behind herself, and was completely startled to find Zacyr was wrapping her in a hug. As her mind tried to figure it out, Zacyr beamed at Sarysi.

"A rose to me is the most beautiful flower out of them all. They are the only flower that I would pick. And yet so few people will pick the rose for fear of getting injured by the thorns. I've never understood why that would be. To me, the thorns say 'I'm beautiful, and if you tell me otherwise there _**will **_be blood.'"

Sarysi found a large smile coming to her face as Zacyr let go, and she got up and faced him. She didn't need to ask what had happened, the Zacyr Sarysi had fallen for was back. In no time at all the two of them had their arms wrapped around each other, and Sarysi spoke to him. "Doesn't it seem easier to cut the flower from the stalk and take only the flower with you? Then you have the beautiful part of the flower and you don't get hurt when you hold it."

Zacyr chuckled as he shook his head. "Only in the short term. The flower won't last long without the stalk or the roots. Besides, what makes the rose beautiful? It's not just the flower, and it's not just the thorns. It's the fact that it's both beautiful and painful at the same time, delicate yet well defended."

Sarysi felt tears flowing from her eyes as Zacyr tightened his hold on her, his smile only growing wider. "To me, the beauty is well worth the pain. I want the rose to live as long as it can, and I want to keep the rose with me."

For a bit, Sarysi just didn't know what to say. She was delighted that Zacyr had come back, and she was _flattered_ at Zacyr's speech. The two of them simply stood there, locked in their embrace. Everything felt right in the world for Sarysi.

Of course, the moment passed when they heard someone. "Hey look, it's _**WHAT THE HECK?**_"

Both Zacyr and Sarysi finally ended the embrace, and looked in the direction of the voice. Sarysi and Zacyr laughed when they saw the silver-haired girl, the brown-haired girl, the black-haired boy, and the ashen-grey haired teenager looking at them. The teenager looked like he had recovered from Sarysi's earlier attack, and just like the rest of his group he was looking at both Zacyr and Sarysi with clear shock.

Zacyr greeted the black-haired boy, calling him Cooro. The boy soon spoke, looking _extremely_ confused. "Okay, Husky explained that you're a guy, but . . . Husky, didn't you say that Zacyr could never get a girlfriend because his heart was really cold all the time and he also was a lonely wolf +Anima that everyone secretly hated?"

Zacyr raised an eyebrow as he looked at the girl with silver hair. "Hey, at least I don't _look_ like a girl."

When Husky's face flushed with anger, Sarysi frowned. Husky grabbed a staff with two hands as he started running towards Zacyr. "_**I AM A GUY DAMMIT!**_"

Sarysi grinned as she went into her +Anima form. She took a few steps forwards, and when Husky tried to go past her she put a claw around his neck. Husky immediately froze in place, looking at Sarysi with fear in his eyes. Sarysi grinned cruelly towards him before nodding at the staff in his hands. "Hit Zacyr with the staff Husky, I fucking _**DARE**_ you to."

Husky wisely dropped the staff, and Sarysi let her +Anima traits recede. After Husky grabbed his staff off of the ground, he sprinted back over by his group. Sarysi chuckled until Zacyr cleared his throat. "So Sarysi, I . . . I'm really sorry about overreacting before."

Sarysi grinned as she went into her +Anima form. She quickly whirled herself around and slammed her claws into Zacyr's side, sending him flying quite some distance before he tumbled to a stop. As he did, Sarysi let her +Anima traits recede and crossed her arms. When Zacyr looked up at her with the hint of a grin on his face, Sarysi beamed at him. "Apology accepted. It's good to have you back, Zacyr."

Zacyr laughed as he got to his feet. "It's good to _be_ back, Sarysi."

Sarysi and Zacyr smiled at each other, and soon burst out into laughter. To Sarysi, everything else could be answered later. Right now Zacyr was back, and that was all that mattered.

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><p>Ah, young love.<p> 


	49. More and More Bizarre

Alright. It's been fun having the original cast mingle with my characters, but it's time to say goodbye.

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><p>Tachine sighed as she and Kshtsi sat down. As Sarysi and Zacyr continued to fool around with this other group Zacyr had found, Tachine looked at Kshtsi. "So how the hell did he get his memory back?"<p>

Kshtsi immediately looked at Tachine with a smile on his face. "He found where Rudeg had kept him. Apparently, seeing his extra arms caused his memory to come back. Still . . ."

Tachine cocked her head when Kshtsi frowned and eyed Zacyr. "I promised to help him figure out how he got his extra arms. He simply told me that there was no need. Did he mean that he doesn't _care_ where he got his extra arms from, or does it mean . . ."

Tachine filled in the blank, just as confused as Kshtsi was. "Or does it mean that he _remembers_ how he got those arms?"

Kshtsi nodded before he sighed. "Either way, I doubt he's going to tell us as long as we have other people nearby."

Tachine nodded at that. So far as she knew, no one else actually believed that Zacyr had six arms before, and while that probably meant that they had written off both Tachine and Sarysi as insane . . . well, that was probably better than what would have happened if they _had_ believed it. This was Tachine's reward for being so impulsive.

It wasn't long afterwards that Tachine, Sarysi, Kshtsi, Zacyr, and even the other group were waving goodbye to Shad. After a bit of walking, Tachine noticed both Kshtsi and Husky slowing down to bring up the rear of the group. When Kshtsi and Husky began whispering to each other, Tachine instinctively went into her +Anima form. Using the sharp hearing of a fox, she listened closely to Kshtsi and Husky's conversation.

"It's a small world after all, isn't it Myyrha?"

"_Shh! _Don't let them know that! I am to be called Husky, okay?"

"I don't see why I have to take orders from you, but alright. But . . . I thought you were dead."

"I . . . I don't want to talk about it. Now what the hell are you doing here? I thought you enjoyed the higher class life."

"It was an accident. Now I'm a jellyfish +Anima because . . . uh, give me a bit."

Tachine was listening intently, so when Kshtsi tapped her on the shoulder she almost yelped in shock. Blushing furiously, she allowed her +Anima form to recede. Kshtsi simply told her to stop listening in, and Tachine apologized. "It's a tough habit to break, sorry."

Kshtsi simply grinned before he walked back over by Husky. Tachine was curious, but decided not to listen in. Although she had to admit . . . Myyrha, didn't she know that name from somewhere? Ugh, whatever.

Not long afterwards, the groups came to a stop at a fork in the road. Zacyr asked if the other group wanted to travel together. Each and every head turned to face Husky when he asked 'which way?' Zacyr, while seeming surprised, nodded towards the right path. Husky huffed as he stated that his group would take the left path then.

Tachine chuckled until Kshtsi cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Actually Zacyr . . . could we take the left path?"

Zacyr cocked his head towards Kshtsi. "Hmm? Yeah, of course we can. Don't like going the other way?"

Kshtsi didn't answer, but Tachine almost forgot about that when Husky spoke up. "Then we're going on the path you are _not._"

Zacyr chuckled, but soon the groups went down their respective paths. Just as Tachine was about to speak to Zacyr, he stopped and grinned at the other group. Tachine was caught off-guard when Zacyr shouted over to the other group. "_**It's been nice meeting you, MERMAID PRINCESS!**_"

Tachine, Sarysi, and Kshtsi flinched as they turned to face the other group. Husky had frozen in place, and soon turned to face Zacyr. "_**WHAT? How do you . . . COORO! HOW DOES HE KNOW?**_"

Tachine cocked her head as Cooro spoke to Husky. Because they were so far away, Tachine couldn't hear what Cooro said, but Husky soon bellowed at Cooro as he raised his staff. "_**YOU TOLD HIM? GOD DAMN IT COORO!**_"

As Tachine and her group watched in amusement, Husky began chasing a startled Cooro down the path, clearly intending to hit him with the staff. Nana and Senri weren't far behind them, and soon the group had gone too far away to see. Zacyr chuckled before the group began walking down the path they had chosen. "You just have to love the little guy. Hopefully Husky won't maim him too badly."

Tachine cocked her head in confusion, but instead of explaining that Zacyr sighed. "Alright. Let's get a move-on."

Tachine agreed, but Kshtsi surprised them when he spoke up. "Hold on. Zacyr, earlier you said that you'd explain something to us. I don't mean to be impatient, but . . . would right now be a good time?"

Zacyr frowned as he looked away, but as Tachine watched he soon nodded to himself. "As good a time as any."

Tachine cocked her head, and Zacyr sighed. "I remember everything that has happened since I met you. But I also remember a little bit more about my past, and what I've learned . . . _intrigues _me."

Tachine found herself grinning from ear to ear. "So what did you learn? Have you figured out something more about the four extra arms you have - uh . . . had?"

Zacyr gave a light grin as he nodded. "A little bit. I also have a memory that . . . it just doesn't make sense. I'm not sure how to say this, but . . . do you know who my father was?"

Tachine shook her head, so Zacyr sighed. "His name was Sidas."

Tachine and Kshtsi both flinched when Sarysi gasped. "_Sidas?_ Someone actually fell in _love_ with him?"

Zacyr grinned. "From what I'm understanding from Rudeg's journal, _two_ women fell in love with Sidas. One - Rudeg's mother - died in childbirth. Sidas must have abandoned Rudeg as a child, then traveled until he met _my_ mother. That was when he became _my_ father."

Tachine felt an ice-cold chill go down her spine. "Wait, you and Rudeg are _siblings?_"

Zacyr shook his head. "No, but we _are_ related. She was my half-sister, and the older out of the two of us. She claimed to know my past, but now I realize she _couldn't_ have been part of it."

Tachine was reeling in shock, but Sarysi spoke up. "How . . . why would _anyone_ marry . . . he must have been such an abusive husband to your mother."

Zacyr caught all of them by surprise when he burst out laughing. Once he got a hold of himself, he shook his head. "No, he wouldn't _dare_ fight mother. My mom wasn't some damsel in distress, Sarysi. She taught me _everything_ I know, from my ability to tightrope to my skills with a bow and arrow."

Tachine watched Sarysi raise an eyebrow, but Zacyr continued to speak. "Mother always wanted to see the world, but she knew I was very timid. Sidas offered to stay behind, and after many years mom decided that she could trust Sidas. It was a big mistake."

Zacyr gulped as he looked the other way. "Before this, I was always a timid child. I was paranoid about my hallucinations, and it easily upset me. Sidas . . . he enjoyed that fact. He enjoyed watching other people suffer, more-so when he was the cause of their misery. He soon traumatized me using mice, not aware that mother had already sensed something was wrong and was on her way back to the village. By the time she got there, I had lost all my confidence in myself, and all confidence in my ability to separate my false images from reality.

"Mom was _pissed_. She couldn't believe that Sidas had done it, and in an act of anger she took her bow off of her back, nocked an arrow, and in one shot she castrated Sidas, so he could never again have another child to torture."

Even Sarysi's mouth fell open. "_Castrated?_ She actually shot him in the _nuts_?"

Zacyr nodded, a slight grin on his face. "I told you, Sidas wouldn't _dare_ piss my mother off. So when he finally did, she made _certain_ he would live to regret it. She then left the village, and Sidas knew better than to follow us."

Zacyr chuckled, and Tachine tried to imagine this. As she did, Zacyr continued to speak. "She took me all around Astaria, to everywhere she could think of that she believed I could finally relax. Honeycomb Mansion, Bubbly . . . she even tried to bring me to the kingdom of Amono."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Tachine noticed that Kshtsi flinched at what Zacyr said. "'Tried'? Why wouldn't you go to Amono? It's a nice place. Uh, from what I've heard."

Zacyr gave a light chuckle. "How do I say this . . . I suffer from thalassophobia."

Tachine and Sarysi looked at each other. What the hell did that mean? Soon Sarysi cleared her throat. "So you fear the lasses? Or is that fear of molasses? Or-"

Zacyr shook his head. "No, thalassophobia is a fear of the sea. To be more correct, it's more the idea of being out on open water with no land in sight, without anything to do if something goes wrong. What if the boat breaks down and no one can get there to save you before the boat sinks? What if-"

Tachine cleared her throat. "Okay, we get it. So don't get me wrong, this is all very interesting, but . . . is this just passing the time, or something important?"

Zacyr grinned. "I'm trying to give a summary so you understand. But yeah, it's starting to veer off. Here: eventually, we went back to the village after we were told that Sidas had left. Eventually, a girl named Erika helped me get my confidence back. For a while, everything went right."

Tachine flinched when Zacyr looked the other way. "But then one night, Sidas snuck into the village. He wanted revenge. In a way, he did the same thing Edreg did. He blamed me for his own god damn issue. He snuck into my room, and if it wasn't for Real - the first Real I had as a pet - I would have died in my sleep. Real woke me up by biting my ear, and tried to fight Sidas. Sidas killed Real by crushing him under his foot. I was so afraid. He backed me into a corner, and I had no way out. He simply grinned as he got ready to kill me. And right there, right then . . . I became a spider +Anima."

Tachine froze. _What?_ "You mean . . . you _are_ a +Anima?"

Zacyr frowned. "I'm not sure. Everything after that's still a bit fuzzy. The next thing I can remember is running through the forest, my mind being a complete mess . . . and when I finally got far enough in the forest, I saw my reflection in a pool. I was horrified to see that I had six arms, and . . . everything just went blank after that."

Zacyr ended his explanation there, and for a while no one spoke. Tachine tried to figure it out, but eventually raised her arms in the air in defeat. "I just . . . this makes no sense. You used to be a +Anima, yet when you changed . . ."

"What was your transformation like?"

Tachine flinched at Sarysi's question, and Zacyr frowned as he tried to think about it. "Four spider-like eyes . . . two pairs of _huge_ spider legs that came from my waist . . . and fangs. But . . . the strangest part is that I remember having a _huge_ mark on my back. I must have lost my +Anima state."

Tachine could only frown in frustration. So he started as a +Anima, and somehow he not only lost the state, he gained four arms? How was that possible? This made no sense! How-

"This is so bizarre . . ."

Everyone looked at Zacyr, who was clearly in thought. "I wonder . . . no, it doesn't matter. We may figure it out, we may not. It doesn't really matter anymore, considering that my extra arms are now gone."

Tachine, Kshtsi, and Sarysi eventually agreed, although it was more because of how bizarre the whole problem was. They'd think about it later. For now, they would just go to the next town. Hopefully they'd have a quiet trip this time.

* * *

><p>I couldn't resist getting one more jab in on Husky.<p>

Now if you've been paying attention, you would remember that I'm only on volume three of the +Anima series. So how the HELL do I know Husky's real name? It's really quite simple: my younger sister can't keep a secret. She likes to give me a continuous stream of spoilers. Normally they are annoying, but when it comes to making a story like this, they can come in handy. Sometimes.

I am shocked that I've almost reached _fifty_ chapters. I honestly didn't think this story would expand the way it did, or take so many chapters to say. But hey, I have to say I'm having fun here.


	50. Blast from the Past

Alright, time for chapter number fifty!

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><p>Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine were all sitting on a log, waiting for Zacyr to come back. He had wanted to go into a nearby forest for a moment, and now the rest of his group was using this time in an attempt to make sense of what Zacyr had told them. Kshtsi was the one that started the conversation. "So . . . just how can someone lose their +Anima powers?"<p>

Sarysi shrugged, but Tachine spoke up. "Only if they feel like they are perfectly fine without them."

Okay, so that meant Zacyr would have had to believe himself to be fine without his +Anima form . . . just a few moments after he gained them? "So . . . he lost his +Anima form, and then randomly grew two extra pairs of arms? Or was that caused by him losing his +Anima form?"

Kshtsi was surprised when Sarysi shook her head. "No, that can't be right. I just . . . this makes no sense. He no longer has his +Anima form . . . but then again, he _does_ have the same number of limbs as a spider . . ."

For a bit, the trio was silent as they tried to figure it out. Eventually Tachine sighed. "I just don't get it. This makes no sense . . . he even explained to us that when he _was_ in his +Anima form, his extra limbs were spider legs. I don't think this could be caused by his +Anima form, but what else _could_ it be caused by?"

Kshtsi shrugged, and soon the three of them conceded defeat. They just couldn't figure out how Zacyr had ended up with six arms. And as Zacyr had told them, he really didn't care that much anymore. Maybe it just didn't matter?

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi were brought out of their thoughts when they heard a voice from behind them. "Don't make any sudden moves."

The three of them immediately turned to find a person wielding a bow and arrow, with the arrow pointed right at Kshtsi's head. Kshtsi's heart leapt to his throat. This person could have fired at _any_ time, and Kshtsi would have had no idea until he died!

The person themselves looked to be about fifteen years old. His blonde hair was cut short. He wore a sleeveless shirt, which allowed his muscles to be seen. A quiver was on his back, attached by a strap that went from the boy's right shoulder to the lower left of his stomach. There was a stern look of determination in the boy's green eyes as he repeated his earlier command. Kshtsi and Tachine froze in place, although Sarysi didn't. "Says who?"

The person adjusted his aim to point the arrow at Sarysi's head. "My name is not your concern, +Anima."

Kshtsi flinched. "What? How did you know we-"

Tachine immediately put a hand to Kshtsi's mouth, but the boy gave a cruel grin. "Because you just _told_ me, +Anima."

Kshtsi immediately blushed as Tachine cringed. Maybe he should just have kept his mouth shut. "Oh."

The boy simply chuckled as he pulled the string of the bow back, getting down on one knee. "Our spies got word that a small group of +Anima were coming here, so I was sent to intercept and eliminate that group."

Kshtsi immediately flinched. "Spies? What are you talking about?"

The boy simply smirked as he again aimed at Kshtsi's head, reminding Kshtsi of the situation he was all too aware of. "You +Anima aren't the only ones that have spies. Don't you get it? We humans aren't as naïve as you +Anima think we are. You think you have this war won, don't you? Well, we aren't giving up."

It was Tachine that spoke next, saying exactly what Kshtsi was thinking. "What are you _talking_ about? What war is this? We're _travelers_ you moron!"

The boy continued to smirk as he altered his aim towards Tachine. "How stupid do you think I am? You _must_ know of the war. You came here to aid your side, and you failed. This place . . ."

The boy trailed off as he focused somewhere behind the three of them. He suddenly re-adjusted his aim towards somewhere behind the group. "_Show yourself!_ I know you're there!"

Kshtsi turned around to find that the boy was aiming at a tree. A few seconds went by, then a _twang_ alerted Kshtsi that someone had just fired. He closed his eyes, expecting to die . . . but he didn't. After a tiny bit longer, Kshtsi dared to open his eyes, and was startled to realize the boy was looking up in the sky. Kshtsi followed his gaze, and was surprised to find an arrow quite some distance in the air and heading upwards. It wasn't from the boy, the trajectory seemed to be coming from behind the tree.

The boy merely chuckled. "Trying to arc an arrow towards me? You do realize that all I have to do is move before it starts coming down, and it's-"

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi all flinched when a second arrow shot right past them, embedding itself into the boy's forehead. It was like blowing out a candle. The boy fell to the ground dead, his corpse still showing a look of complete shock.

"Well no _shit_ the first arrow's going to miss."

The trio turned around, and Kshtsi was shocked yet delighted to see Zacyr standing there, holding a bow with a grin on his face. "The point of the first arrow is to be a distraction."

Still chuckling, Zacyr went over by the boy's corpse. Kshtsi was surprised when Zacyr took the quiver from the boy's corpse, and soon put it inside the pack he carried around. Eventually Kshtsi shook off the shock from the encounter and spoke up. "Thanks for that."

Zacyr grinned at Kshtsi. "I leave to make a bow and not two minutes later I return to find all of you in a bad position. Of _course_ I'm going to intervene. Now, can anyone explain to me what's going on?"

Kshtsi was going to explain what the boy said, but they all turned as they heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Kshtsi was shocked to see a boy rushing over to the group, a huge grin on his face and a look of childish joy in his eyes.

What really shocked Kshtsi was just how . . . _similar_ this boy looked to Zacyr. They were the same age, had the same build and they both had the exact same face! However, the boy also had a few differences. Instead of Zacyr's silver hair and red eyes, this boy had jet-black hair and light-blue eyes. Those same eyes were filled with excitement, something Kshtsi had _never_ seen with Zacyr's eyes.

Even the boy's _clothing_ was similar in style to Zacyr's, a simple t-shirt and shorts. However, unlike the white T-shirt that Zacyr was wearing (having repaired it since the time that Sarysi had cut it apart) and his black pants, the boy wore a black shirt and white pants. He raced over to the group, screeching to a stop right in front of a startled Zacyr. "I know! Yeah! Me, I know! Pick me Zacyr! I know!"

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi all looked at the boy in complete shock. What the _hell_? But even as they did, Zacyr suddenly gave a broad grin. "_Ryca?_ Is that you?"

The boy excitedly nodded, and yet again startled Kshtsi when he started running circles around Zacyr. The entire time, he continued to babble on and on. As can be imagined, Ryca spoke so quickly that it was hard to understand what he was actually saying. "Yeah, it's me! I'm Ryca! It's Ryca! You're speaking to Ryca! That's my name!"

To Kshtsi's complete shock Zacyr chuckled before addressing Ryca. "It's nice to see you too, Ryca."

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi all flinched when Ryca _squealed_ in glee. "Yay! You remember me! That's excellent! I remember you too! It _is_ nice, too! We remember each other! That _is_ nice!"

Kshtsi could only scratch his head in confusion. What was _wrong_ with this kid? "Okay, so do you know why that boy tried to kill us?"

Kshtsi did not expect when Ryca ran up to him, clearly brimming with energy. "Well, he's one of _them_ and your one of _those_ so he just . . . you know. Them are against those and because you're _here_ he decided he would kill some of _those_ and you are some of _those _so he decided that he wanted to be rid of those and as such he -"

Kshtsi frowned as he scratched his head. Well, that told him absolutely _nothing_. "Can you just . . . you know, speak like a normal person?"

Ryca immediately blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, but because of _that_ I have a hard time doing _that_ like others can do _that_. It's not that I _like_ doing that. It's that I just _have_ to do that because I don't like _not_ doing that. I'm sure you understand."

Kshtsi could only shake his head, but soon Zacyr called Ryca over to his position. Ryca immediately complied, and Zacyr grabbed out an arrow from the quiver, soon handing it to Ryca. "Alright Ryca, now the first thing you should do is introduce yourself."

Sarysi spoke to Zacyr, saying something close to what Kshtsi was thinking. "He's _insane_ and you're going to _arm_ him? Are you _sure_ that's a good"

Sarysi trailed off as Ryca got down on his knees. Using the arrow, he began drawing rapidly in the dirt. Zacyr chuckled as he walked over to Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi's position. "Sorry about that. If I had known Ryca was nearby, I would have told you about him. Give him a little bit, and he'll give you a proper introduction."

Kshtsi cocked his head, and Zacyr grinned over at Ryca. Ryca was currently scribbling on the ground, and Zacyr soon asked him if he was ready.

"No, not quite yet. Just five more seconds-no, let's try four seconds. It's just an estimate, so don't quote me on it. Okay, maybe it's going to just be two seconds-no, yeah. I'm ready now!"

Zacyr grinned as he told Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi to walk closer. When they did, Kshtsi was surprised to see that Ryca had drawn quite a bit into the dirt. After taking a deep breath, Ryca spoke. "Okay, now as you already know my name is Ryca. Zacyr and I used to live in the same village. Here's a bird's-eye view of the village."

Ryca used the arrow to point to one of his drawings. Kshtsi was surprised to see just how accurate the drawing must have been, he must have drawn the entire village. "Zacyr and his parents lived here. A few years ago, my family moved into this house right here."

Ryca pointed to two of the drawn squares buildings as he spoke, both of them rather close to each other. As he did, he quickly wrote the names of each family member in those villages. He then grinned at Zacyr. "This was back when Zacyr and I both kept to ourselves. Our families had similar businesses, we both made specialized rope. When Zacyr's mother and himself came back from a trip to see the world"

At this point, Ryca drew an arrow that exited Zacyr's 'house', went out of the village, then returned and re-entered the house. "Our families immediately became competitive. See, the ropes made by each family were made out of completely different material. As such, they both had completely different qualities. But that's not important right now."

Ryca took a deep breath before he continued. "When Erika - she lived here"

At this point, Ryca wrote Erika's name in a building that was right between Zacyr's house and Ryca's house. "When she helped to get Zacyr's confidence back, I was very upset. Now let me explain."

Kshtsi watched as Ryca got up, and headed over to a completely different picture. This one was a surprisingly accurate drawing depicting both Zacyr and Ryca, both standing next to each other. Ryca quickly scribbled a name above each of them, making the one on the right Ryca and the one on the left Zacyr.

"Zacyr was born with a genetic disorder he inherited from his father, Sidas. This disorder affects the part of his brain designed to comprehend the information his eyes collect. It causes his mind to create excess information. That results in him seeing things that aren't really there, his 'hallucinations'."

After writing most of the basic information to the side of Zacyr's picture, Ryca walked over to his own picture. "Now, I have a disability that was caused by a near-death incident. When I was about five years old I had gone into a coma, and my parents mistook me for dead. As such, they put me in a coffin and buried me. Fortunately for me, they visited my grave about twelve hours later and heard scratching coming from inside the coffin. By the time they dug up the coffin, my brain was shutting down from lack of oxygen. This event caused permanent damage to my brain, and caused me to gain an unusual disability. When I get excited - which happens a _lot_ - I have the worst time communicating with others."

Kshtsi flinched as Ryca walked over to the other drawing, but walked over there after him. Ryca again used the arrow to point at the drawing, pointing to his house. "Now, I am well aware of this disability. I tried hard to overcome it, but . . . well, it would be comparable to telling Zacyr to stop hallucinating and just expecting him to be able to succeed because he _knows_ he sees these false images. Because I was so easily excited at all times, I hid in my parent's house for most of the day so I wouldn't be considered a freak by other people."

Kshtsi watched as Ryca smiled at Zacyr. "That was how Zacyr found me. Even though I always got excited, and would become unable to effectively converse with others, Zacyr was always able to understand me. It was him that helped me to figure out that if I draw when I'm excited, I can use the drawing to bypass my disability. We've been friends since that day."

Zacyr smiled as he nodded. "Alright Ryca. So may I ask"

"_Wait-_hold on! Just give me a bit more time, about that long! I have to tell you about _that_, but I need to do _that_ before I tell you about _it_!"

Zacyr nodded and backed away from Ryca. "Alright, give him a bit of breathing space."

Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi complied. Kshtsi was surprised when Ryca took a few deep breaths then sighed. It was amazing, the change in his stance. He now looked much calmer, and he gave a slight smile towards Zacyr. "Look Zacyr, before anything else we have to relocate. To be honest, we should have done that before I introduced myself. We're in _their_ territory right now. Once we get to safer ground, I'll explain everything."

Zacyr nodded, and soon Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi were following Zacyr and Ryca off of the path.

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><p>Ryca is my attempt at making a character that is completely unique. I have to say, I think I did well :)<p>

Next chapter shouldn't take me long!


	51. A Hero's Welcome

Wow.

Over 8,000 words in a single chapter? Well, this is new. Explains why it took me three days to create and revise it.

Oh, and before I forget: yes, it is TOTALLY possible to gain a disability by starving the brain of oxygen. I believe it would take a _very_ close call, where the person just _barely_ manages to live through it. Also, Ryca found himself underground and in a coffin for a few hours. I think that counts for psychological trauma. (Then again, I got the idea from something I found on a wiki about zombies :P)

So, enjoy!

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><p>"Okay, that should be good. We should be good here. This is a good place. We shall be safe here."<p>

Zacyr grinned as Ryca stopped within a clearing. As Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi entered the clearing Zacyr grinned. Ryca smiled at Zacyr expectantly, and Zacyr grinned as he said what he _always _said to Ryca. "So get drawing already!"

Ryca's eyes lit up with energy as he dashed over to a good-sized patch of dirt. After taking the arrow Zacyr had given him out of his pack, Ryca was soon hard at work with a drawing. As Zacyr watched, remembering all the good times Ryca and he had had, he was suddenly aware of Tachine trying to get his attention. "Hmm?"

Tachine seemed nervous, brushing her long red hair back as she looked past Zacyr at Ryca. Zacyr was quite startled to find Kshtsi just as nervous, although Sarysi seemed to be accepting of Ryca. Eventually, Tachine gulped. "So let me get this sorted out. He has a disability that causes him to just . . . stop making sense whenever he gets excited?"

Zacyr found a slight smile coming to his lips as he leaned against a tree. "That's one way to say it. It's more that he unconsciously assumes that we know what he's speaking about. As such, he'll start speaking about 'them', 'that', 'this', or 'it'. It makes it really difficult to understand him, but it's not because he _wants_ to say it like that. That's why he always says something so many different ways, that way the person can compare the ways that he's saying it and try to make sense of it. I figured out that if Ryca's basing it off of something he's drawn he is capable of truly saying what he wants too. He's actually smarter than I am. Ryca just has a hard time explaining himself to other people."

Tachine and Kshtsi seemed quite confused, but before they could say anything Ryca piped up. "Okay, I'm ready! It's finished! I can explain it now! I'm ready to explain it!"

Zacyr chuckled as he walked over to Ryca. While his tendency to repeat himself came in handy with larger, more complex sentences, it also backfired whenever the message was simple enough for him to say. As always, Ryca cleared his throat before he went into 'explanation mode', as Zacyr liked to call it. Zacyr used that time to look at Ryca's drawing, and was surprised to find a large number of block-like structures there. Ah, so it was the drawing of a city.

Once Ryca's explanation mode was ready, he began the explanation. "Okay, so this here is the city of Wralb. It's not far away from us. Now, I'll be blunt right now because time is short. There is a civil war going on in Wralb right now."

Zacyr cocked his head. He had learned long ago that Ryca could answer comments in-between explanations as well, so he felt no trouble with interrupting. "Who are the combatants?"

He couldn't have been more surprised when two antennae grew out of Ryca's head. Ryca's pupils grew, as did his eyes, until Zacyr found himself looking at a person with what resembled a beetle's head. He couldn't believe it. _Ryca was a +Anima?_ As Ryca let his +Anima traits recede, Zacyr almost swore. He didn't even need to hear what the other side was composed of. It was +Anima versus humans, _again?_ He was getting sick of that. "This is +Anima versus humans, Zacyr. Now I know you have questions, but can you please hold them until the end of the explanation?"

Zacyr gave Ryca a slight nod. Ryca returned the gesture before drawing a circle around a good portion of the northern part of the city. "This right here is the +Anima side, our side. We've got a small sort of village going here. I don't know the precise number of +Anima here, but it's in the _hundreds_."

As Zacyr watched, Ryca then encircled a good-sized portion of the southern part of the city. "This right here is the territory of the human side, which you four almost entered. That's why we had to move away from the path, we were in _their_ territory. Now, you likely are confused as to how we knew you four were coming."

Zacyr and his group nodded at Ryca's question. Ryca smiled as he drew an arrow into the city from the human side, likely to signify the path that they had been on. "Earlier today, three +Anima tried to enter the city via the human side. It took a bit of luck and a few chances, but we managed to get them over to our side. They introduced themselves as Edreg, Kesi, and Dancing Shadow, and they asked if you were in the city, Zacyr."

Zacyr was shocked. Kshtsi _had_ told Zacyr that Edreg had changed his mind about Zacyr, but Zacyr didn't really think they'd see Edreg again. He had assumed Edreg was just going to use the 'looking' for Zacyr to get the hell out of the area. Well, _that_ would be an interesting meeting.

That was, of course, assuming that Zacyr's group was going to enter the city. The more Zacyr heard, the more he wanted to get away from the city limits before they could get dragged into this fight. Once he realized Ryca was waiting for Zacyr to focus, Zacyr apologized. Ryca smiled before he looked back at the dirt. "The +Anima side was excited to hear that more +Anima were coming, but unfortunately for us the human side heard us as well. They sent out a fighter named Ace to intercept your group and deny the +Anima side any new fighters. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize what they were dealing with."

Ryca smiled at Zacyr, which got Zacyr to smile back. Once he did, Ryca continued his explanation. "The human side prizes those that use bow-and-arrows, because few +Anima can counter a long-ranged attack. We've got a few +Anima that can, don't get me wrong, but overall _most_ of us can't. What you did Zacyr was actually a really good thing, and it would help the +Anima side warm up to you."

Zacyr was deeply shocked at what Ryca just said. Was Ryca actually _expecting_ them to enter the war? "Hold it. I don't like where this is going. When did we say that we'd enter this war? I don't _ever_ remember you trying to force me to do something before, are you actually saying that we _have_ to enter this war?"

Ryca immediately blushed before brushing his hair back. Zacyr recognized this gesture. Ryca always did this when he was upset. "N-no, I _don't_ want you to enter it! You don't understand, _they_ will make you do it! And if they learn about _this_ then they won't let you do anything _but_ it!"

Zacyr flinched at the sudden outburst, although he had to admit it was common from Ryca. If he felt time was of the essence, he would try not to draw in order to get his point across. Still, if Zacyr understood this correctly . . . "Alright. Thank you, Ryca. Kshtsi, Tachine, Sarysi, we need to get a move-on if we don't want to get dragged into this war."

Without waiting for them to respond, Zacyr turned and began to walk towards the forest. He was _not_ going to let himself get dragged into a +Anima only place and be the odd one out _AGAIN_. But as he was about to reach the edge of the forest, he suddenly noticed that Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine weren't following him. He turned to see that they were looking at the forest behind them. Zacyr cursed as he reached for his bow, he was going to do whatever it took to stay out of this war.

Zacyr's hand was just touching his bow when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He didn't have time to do anything before talons dug into his back, slicing right through the bow and raking his flesh. It hurt like hell, and as Zacyr doubled over in pain he heard quite a few cries of shock, more than there should have been.

"Found him."

Zacyr soon felt that same clawed foot lightly tap him on the back. The pain was aggravating, and that light tap caused Zacyr to lose his balance. Just as he thought he was going to introduce his face to the ground, two arms caught him and helped him steady himself.

"_Damn it, Oroco! __**ALIVE AND UNHARMED!**__ What part of that didn't you underssstand?_"

Wait a second, Zacyr knew that voice. He looked up, and weakly grinned as he found Tersil looking at him with worried eyes. Zacyr couldn't believe it, _Tersil_ was caught up in this war too? So what about-

To Zacyr's shock, he soon heard another familiar voice as bandages were quickly put over the wounds. "You alright, Zacyr?"

In spite of the situation, Zacyr chuckled before looking up at Xorada. "I just got maimed, Xorada. Just because it's a common occurrence for me doesn't stop it from hurting like hell."

Xorada gave a slight grin, but soon Zacyr heard a chuckle. A cruel male voice came from behind Zacyr, the owner quite clearly feeling no guilt towards his actions. "I think you'll live, you _baby_."

Zacyr gave a slight grin as he heard the footsteps getting closer. Zacyr feigned that he was having a hard time moving, and waited patiently for the footsteps to get in range. As the +Anima walk towards Zacyr, he spoke. "Aw, look at the little baby. Don't cry, now. I'm sure-"

_There!_ He had just gotten close enough! Zacyr quickly turned around and rammed his knee hard into the speaker's groin, using the momentum of the turn to power his strike. He was surprised to see that the +Anima had bird-legs that resembled elongated, black chicken-legs or something. As the attack connected, the bird +Anima cut off with a yelp, and soon tears appeared in the bird +Anima's eyes as he hit the ground and curled up into the fetal position.

Now that Zacyr was able to look the +Anima over, he was surprised to notice the +Anima's grey hair and brown eyes. That was a combination he had never seen before. He looked rather muscular, but not exactly skinny. Unlike most the bird +Anima Zacyr had seen, this one had _no_ wings whatsoever. The bird +Anima angrily spoke to Zacyr, clearly attempting to sound threatening. Unfortunately for the bird +Anima, his voice was several octaves too high to sound intimidating.

"_F-f-__**fucker**__!_"

Zacyr simply grinned as he put his hands to his hips. "I think you'll live, you _baby._"

To Zacyr's surprise, laughter came from the forest. A few other +Anima soon entered the clearing. While it wasn't an insane amount, it was enough that Zacyr realized he, Kshtsi, Tachine, and possibly Sarysi had no chance to escape. There were quite a few interesting forms, from what appeared to be an eel-like +Anima all the way to a +Anima that was covered in bizarre scales that reminded Zacyr of a pine-cone.

However, Zacyr's attention was grabbed by one +Anima in specific. This one had a good portion of his upper body changed into that of a hyena. The +Anima's spotted fur stopped at about his chest, and Zacyr got the impression that the +Anima was grinning at him. "I can see why you're popular among +Anima."

Zacyr frowned as he looked around. He, Ryca, Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi were completely surrounded. Ryca began trying to say something, but he was too stressed to truly express himself. "_I had it under control, it didn't need this! _I didn't need this! _Why did he send all of you to do this?_"

The hyena +Anima raised a paw, and Ryca immediately went quiet. As all the other +Anima crossed their arms, the hyena +Anima raised his head to the sky and gave a loud cry that almost sounded like a 'whoop'. It was only when they heard what sounded like some sort of frog croaking that Zacyr realized the hyena was giving a signal. This was _bad_.

The hyena +Anima cleared his throat before addressing Ryca. "Unibas was certain you wouldn't attempt to bring Zacyr to the city. After you left Ryca, Unibas told us to follow you. If we saw you trying to get Zacyr away from the city then we should intervene."

Ryca deeply shocked Zacyr when he gave a noise that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a yelp, and soon continued to make that noise. While everyone else looked quite surprised, Zacyr knew _exactly _what that noise meant. Ryca only made this noise when he was absolutely terrified. And that meant that Ryca believed his life was in danger. Zacyr immediately put himself in-between Ryca and the hyena +Anima. "_**I won't let you harm Ryca!**_"

Zacyr was quite surprised at the silence that followed his words. The hyena +Anima looked extremely shocked, but Zacyr refused to move out of the way. After a few seconds passed, the hyena +Anima abruptly grinned. "Ryca and Zacyr, the two of you are overreacting. We certainly don't believe Ryca should be harmed for attempting to defend you, and Unibas agrees. But I must say . . . this is quite a touching scene. You are quite clearly willing to use yourself as a shield for Ryca's safety."

Zacyr sighed in relief, and Ryca stopped making his 'terrified' sound. The hyena +Anima practically beamed at Zacyr, which Zacyr took to be a good sign. For a few moments the hyena +Anima simply stood like, but then he abruptly shook his head. "Uh-_so_, moving on. Unibas is our leader, and he wishes to speak to you Zacyr. However, there is a problem."

Zacyr cocked his head, and the hyena +Anima gave a sympathetic grin. "Unibas specifically chose each and every member in this search group, Zacyr. Most of us were chosen because we don't hold grudges against humans, although Oroco was chosen _because_ he holds a grudge against humans. We have over a hundred +Anima in the city Zacyr, and most of them share Oroco's beliefs. Unibas lives deep in our territory. While we +Anima _do_ listen to Unibas, many of the fighters will allow their grudge against humans to overrule Unibas. It would be dangerous for you to walk the entire way there, and it certainly won't make for a good first impression."

Zacyr flinched when Sarysi spoke up, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Oh, come _on._ Are you _looking_ at me? I used to be the champion of a +Anima fight ring! If the other +Anima try to attack Zacyr, heads _will_ roll."

The hyena +Anima gave a slight grin towards Sarysi. "I have no doubt that you are a force to be reckoned with, but so are the +Anima that inhabit the city. Well over half of them were also part of the +Anima fight ring. Do you really want to risk them attacking as a group, overwhelming us with sheer numbers, and watching as Zacyr gets torn apart?"

Sarysi flinched, and Zacyr had to admit he was quite nervous at that prospect. "_So-_uh, let's get back to the explanation."

The hyena +Anima chuckled before he nodded. "Alright. So taking the road is not an option for you, Zacyr. Fortunately, there is a way to get to the city that most +Anima can't access."

Zacyr frowned, but when the sound of wings began to approach the clearing Zacyr suddenly understood. "I'm going to be _flown_ there?"

The hyena +Anima nodded, and a black-winged bird +Anima landed neatly in the clearing. She looked to be around Zacyr's age. She had a slender build about her, and black hair that reached her shoulders. Her arms had turned into wings and large talons took the place of her feet.

The girl turned to face Zacyr, and Zacyr was surprised to find markings on the girl's face that reminded him of a peregrine falcon's face. Her yellow eyes seemed to sparkle with glee as she eyed Zacyr. Soon the girl cleared her throat. "Alright, you know the plan?"

Zacyr nodded, and the girl beamed at him. "Wonderful! We need to do this quickly, then."

Without another word, the girl leapt into the air and began flapping her wings again. She surprised Zacyr when she swung her talons towards him, and Zacyr cringed as he waited for the pain. He was imagining how painful it would be to have those talons digging into his shoulders.

He was surprised when the girl instead latched on to his upper arms, the shape of her talons allowing her to grip him tightly without actually digging into his skin. She must have done this quite a few times. Zacyr didn't have long to think about it before his feet no longer touched the ground, and he found the wind rushing past him. The girl quickly gained a good deal of altitude, and she was _fast_. Soon Zacyr could no longer see the clearing they had been in.

Quite a few thoughts were going through his head as the falcon +Anima flew through the air with him. Besides for the soreness in his shoulders caused by her talons, the pain caused by Oroco's attack, and the fact that they were going to an area where quite a few people would want to kill Zacyr, the flight was kind of nice. He liked the breeze that he felt, although he would have liked to have been able to see where they were going. The falcon +Anima had picked him up so he was facing behind her, so he couldn't really see when they reached the city.

Overall, the flight ended all too soon for his liking. Maybe it was the speed at which the girl had flown, or maybe they had been rather close to the city from the start, but in very little time he found the ground coming up to meet them. That must have meant that they were coming in to land. Even here, the girl showed clear experience, slowing down just enough so they wouldn't crash into the ground but not so fast that it would have put unbearable stress on Zacyr's shoulders.

Zacyr couldn't help but cringe when they got near the ground. Now that he was so low to the ground, he could see that they were landing in a large yard-like area, and that most of the area _around_ the yard was crowded with +Anima. Almost every single one of them were in their +Anima form, and well over half of them were also glaring at Zacyr. Some eyed him like he was insignificant. Most of the other +Anima eyed him as if they were having difficulty stopping themselves from rushing forwards and attacking him.

The falcon +Anima skillfully turned Zacyr around to face forwards before finally setting him down. Zacyr was quite startled when he saw what had been behind him. This had to have once been a lord's mansion, although it appeared only the entrance was truly used now. Standing outside of the entrance was a man with the head of a jackal, who was looking at Zacyr with a warm smile. This must have been Unibas.

At this man's sides were two more +Anima. The +Anima to Unibas' right was female, and wore a strange grey one-piece garment. Her eyes were yellow, and her surprisingly short hair was colored grey. Instead of human ears, she currently boasted a large pair of jackrabbit ears which twitched at the slightest sound. Zacyr noticed that her legs looked like a cross between human legs and rabbit legs, and were covered in short fur.

The +Anima to Unibas' left was quite different. He looked abnormally strong, with powerful arm muscles. He wore little more than a loincloth, putting his six-pack on display for the world. He looked older than most of the other +Anima, but that may have been because of the short black beard. It was impossible to tell where his beard ended and his sideburns began, and from where his sideburns ended and his actual hair began, giving him something that looked similar to a mane. Unlike just about _any_ of the other +Anima, this one wasn't in their +Anima form. Zacyr could only guess that this man's +Anima mark was hidden underneath his hair somewhere, because he couldn't see it.

"Zacyr Waror."

Forcing himself to focus, Zacyr looked at Unibas. Unibas himself looked quite a bit more pleasant than the other +Anima did, and was quite clearly capable of addressing Zacyr as an equal. Zacyr had to admit that he was impressed Unibas knew his last name, but he also noticed that Unibas had mispronounced it. "I apologize, but the W is silent. It's pronounced 'Acyr aror'."

Zacyr was surprised by the uproar the observing +Anima made. "_It's not your place to tell Unibas what he can and can't call you, __**human**__!_"

"Unibas, please give us a moment to teach him to respect +Anima before you speak to him!"

Zacyr cringed as he realized just _how_ dire the situation was. They wanted to attack because Zacyr had simply corrected Unibas on how to say his _name?_ Even when Unibas called for silence, the +Anima continued to shout insults at Zacyr, as well as plead for the chance to 'teach him his place'. After a few attempts by Unibas to calm down the enraged +Anima, he sighed.

As Unibas whispered to the +Anima to his left, Zacyr flinched as the falcon +Anima landed next to him. She rolled her eyes as the large crowd of +Anima continued to shout. When the jackrabbit +Anima to Unibas' right turned to her human form and covered her ears, the falcon +Anima spoke to Zacyr. "You'll want to cover your ears."

Zacyr was surprised, but considering that the falcon +Anima was one of few that seemed to treat him as equal Zacyr complied. He was surprised when the +Anima to Unibas' left transformed, and his face became that of a strange monkey Zacyr had never seen before. As the monkey +Anima soon grew a long tail the falcon +Anima covered her ears with her wings. Unibas soon came out of his own +Anima form, and covered his own ears with his hands. The monkey +Anima nodded, and took a deep breath.

Now, Zacyr knew something was going to happen. Considering that the proper way to prepare was to cover one's ears, he also realized that it was probably going to have to do with sound. But as the monkey +Anima's mouth went into an O shape, Zacyr was quite startled to hear a sound that seemed similar to a frog's croaking. However, it was the _decibel_ of the cry that really got Zacyr's attention. Even with his ears covered, the call was loud enough that it was quite painful.

Zacyr looked around to see all the +Anima quickly doubling over and covering their ears. While he saw many of their mouths moving, he couldn't hear what they were saying over the sheer strength of the monkey +Anima's call. Only when it stopped did Zacyr dare to take his hands off of his ears, and he was relieved to find none of the +Anima speaking. But how did a monkey +Anima produce a call that loud?

"Howler monkey."

Zacyr immediately turned to face the falcon +Anima, who smiled at him. "The male howler monkey has the loudest call out of the animal kingdom. It's Jackie's job to listen for signals from +Anima, and Rhewol then returns a confirmation that they heard the signal. It also serves a few other purposes."

Ah, okay. Zacyr had never heard of a howler monkey before, but now that he had heard its call, the name made quite a bit of sense. Unibas soon got Zacyr's attention again, having transformed his head back into that of a jackal. "I apologize for that. This is a very unusual event here, and even +Anima are prone to overreacting when something unusual happens."

Zacyr found himself giving a small smile. "I understand."

"_Like __**hell**__ you do!_"

"_A human can't understand a +Anima!_"

Zacyr sighed as the +Anima again began to insult him. This time though, Unibas quickly let out a loud bark before the +Anima became too loud, and they all immediately quieted down. For a moment Unibas scanned the crowds, giving them a stern gaze which got quite a few of the +Anima to shudder. Zacyr couldn't help but grin as he was reminded of Senri. If Senri and Unibas got into a staring contest, who would win?

"Zacyr"

Zacyr immediately focused to find Unibas looking at him, a look of resignation on his face. "I wished to address you before the +Anima, under the belief that they could control themselves. It appears I have made a mistake, and that the +Anima wish to prove the rumor that all +Anima are savages. In order for me to have a proper conversation with you, we shall have to speak within the mansion."

Unibas soon turned and opened the mansion door before looking at Zacyr. "Come inside, so you can speak to me on equal terms."

Zacyr couldn't help but sigh in relief. He had to admit that he kind of liked this Unibas person. At least Unibas could recognize a bad situation and rectify it. But as he started to walk towards the mansion, he heard one of the +Anima swear. "Unibas, you shouldn't be alone with a human! How do we know this wasn't his plan in the beginning, to get you alone with him? He's one of _them!_ I won't let this happen!"

Zacyr sighed as he turned to find a +Anima charging at him. This +Anima looked to be a raccoon +Anima, although the only things he really got were the facial markings and claws. Okay, how to handle this situation . . . he couldn't retaliate at all, or the massive group of +Anima would take it as an act of aggression. He couldn't flee because there was no place to go but the mansion. Running to the mansion would be stupid, because that would _certainly_ be taken as proof that what the +Anima was saying was true, and Zacyr would probably die before Unibas could intervene.

It looked like the only real chance Zacyr had would be to dodge the strikes from this +Anima and wait for someone else to intervene. Of course, there was the quite real possibility that no one was going to intervene, or that this +Anima was faster than Zacyr. Nonetheless, it was the only real chance Zacyr had. He sighed as he braced, still trying to figure out what he was supposed to do.

He was quite shocked when the falcon +Anima took flight. In just a few seconds Zacyr felt her talons again grab his arms, and before the +Anima got anywhere near them Zacyr found himself being flown towards the mansion. Unibas gave a slight grin as he opened one of the large doors up, and soon Zacyr felt the falcon +Anima let go. Zacyr was sent into a tumble, and passed right through the mansion doors. Zacyr continued to tumble for a little bit, but eventually came to a stop. Overall, he wasn't that hurt.

As Zacyr got to his feet, he was surprised to see the falcon +Anima flying towards the raccoon +Anima, her talons extended. Unibas quickly closed the door, and that shut out almost all the noise from the +Anima. Before either Unibas or Zacyr could say anything, they heard muffled screaming coming from the raccoon +Anima. In spite of the situation, Zacyr gave a slight grin, as did Unibas.

However, Unibas soon cleared his throat and allowed his +Anima traits to recede. Soon, Zacyr found himself facing a man with blonde hair and kind blue eyes. Unibas smiled as he looked Zacyr over. "I'm quite surprised, Zacyr. You look quite a bit like Ryca, just with a different hair color and eye color. Are you two related?"

Zacyr grinned as he shook his head. "Not that I know of."

Unibas shrugged, a slight smile on his face. Soon he and Zacyr were walking through the halls of the mansion. Zacyr was quite surprised to see how old the mansion looked. While it was clearly being repaired wherever parts were going bad, it was just as clear that it had stood here for some time. After a bit of sightseeing, Zacyr heard Unibas speak to him. "I am sure you have questions Zacyr. If you want to ask, I shall see if I can answer them."

Zacyr sighed as he thought of the problem. "I've heard of arguments between +Anima and humans, but I never saw it brought to this level. What is more, I'm quite shocked at the sheer number of +Anima. I thought they were rather rare."

Unibas sighed as he nodded. "One explanation can give you the answer to both your questions. Considering Tersil and Dancing Shadow have ties to you, I expect you know of the +Anima fight ring?"

Zacyr flinched, but nodded. "Sarysi came from there too. Apparently we were walking by a caravan that was relocating her to a new city, and we ended up helping her out."

Unibas immediately looked at Zacyr with a sparkle in his eyes. "Well, I was not aware of that. Not only do you have _nine_ +Anima that no doubt believe you should live, you even freed one from the +Anima fight ring."

Zacyr blushed slightly as he looked the other way. "It wasn't as grand as you make it sound. I would more classify it that I was worried for Tachine and Kshtsi, and that Sarysi saved our asses when it was going badly."

Unibas gave a grin as the two of them continued to walk through the halls. "Not much _is_ as grand as it sounds. However, you still showed that you care for +Anima. This information may be useful in attempting to get the +Anima to warm up to you. For now, I shall return to my previous explanation.

"Wralb, the city we are in, used to have the largest +Anima fight ring in all of Astaria. Over a hundred +Anima were forced to fight to the death in a large cave underneath the city. Almost everyone in the city was an avid watcher of these fights, and many of these buildings used to have underground paths into the fight ring. I myself was fortunate, and was instead the slave of the very lord that used to reside in this mansion.

"Not long ago, the +Anima managed to escape. Enraged at their treatment, these +Anima quickly used those same tunnels to enter people's homes and slaughter them. It didn't take long before my lord was killed in much the same manner. While I had actually been on good terms with him, I myself was quickly chosen to be the leader of the +Anima.

"The +Anima fight ring workers quickly wizened up to what had happened, and retaliated by forcing the cave to collapse in on itself. Over time, citizens either chose to side with the humans, turned into +Anima, or were killed by one of the sides until it was only us and the +Anima fight ring workers. Both sides have openly declared war, and we've been fighting ever since."

Ah. "Alright, that grudge makes sense now. I'd be a little angry too."

Unibas nodded solemnly. "Many of the +Anima citizens were part of that fight ring, and as such they don't listen well to orders. They've made progress, but I still often have +Anima that ignore my orders, and cost us dearly because of it. Any +Anima that enters the city, as well as any human, is forced to join their respective side or die. Usually, that would mean that you would be killed or 'rescued' by the human side. However, you also are on bad terms with them now."

Zacyr gulped as he made the connection. "Someone saw what I did to that boy who threatened my group?"

Unibas nodded. "You are correct. One of their spies saw you kill one of their men. While the +Anima side is quite lenient with that, considering that most of us have grown to be accustomed to killing others, the human side is angry. What is more, the boy you killed was one of their better fighters. Overall, you have proven to them that you side with us +Anima."

Zacyr frowned as he shook his head. "I don't want to choose sides. I don't want to be on _either_ side, I was perfectly content with traveling with my group."

Unibas gave a sad smile towards Zacyr. "I understand that. However, many of the +Anima here do not. They want you dead. But I will not allow that, not when you have done so much for so many +Anima. Many of the +Anima I have put high up in the chain of command were never part of the fight ring, but simply +Anima that were passing by and dragged into the war. Most of them agree with me that you have proven yourself to be friendly towards +Anima. However, that naturally leaves a problem. The fighter +Anima are not happy with the idea of a human living among us, and if we put you in a powerful position, I have little doubt the fighter +Anima would rebel."

Zacyr gulped at that. "So what is going to happen to me?"

He was surprised when Unibas gave a much more sincere smile than he had before. "Make no mistake, you shall not be harmed. We have many small jobs that we can have you do, jobs that won't draw the attention of the +Anima who dislike you. I have thought long and hard during the time you were approaching, and I believe I have suitable living arrangements which would require minimal contact with the +Anima who are hostile with you."

Zacyr cocked his head, but Unibas didn't appear to notice. It looked more like he was in thought about something, and after a bit he nodded to himself. "We sleep within the buildings, using them as our homes. Any +Anima that enters the city automatically gains a home, and if they come in groups they will all be put in the same home. However, this will not hold true for you."

Zacyr flinched, but Unibas spoke quickly. "Don't get me wrong, your friends are welcome to visit you at any time and will be _encouraged_ to. But there's too much risk involved with you sleeping in the same area. I can already tell you that someone would try to sneak in and assassinate you, and of course there would be many other ones that could possibly plan a large-scale assassination. This would put your friends in danger. However, we can't let you sleep alone for reasons I believe are quite obvious."

Zacyr nodded at that. "I wouldn't live through the first night."

Unibas nodded with a sympathetic smile on his face. "But I believe I've found my answer."

Zacyr cocked his head, but at that moment they both heard flapping headed in their direction. They turned to see the falcon +Anima flying towards them, looking rather annoyed. "We're running out of time. The +Anima outside are growing restless, and there's no telling what they will do."

Unibas sighed before shaking his head. "Sometimes they embarrass me. Alright, I'll go and speak to them. Can I trust you to bring Zacyr to his new home?"

Zacyr flinched, but the girl immediately smiled and nodded. "Certainly. Who is going to be his bunk-mate?"

Unibas sighed before he turned around. As he began walking back towards where they had come in, he gave his answer. "Lexa."

Zacyr immediately began to wonder about this. Not because he recognized the name, no. He had never heard of a person named Lexa before. However, the falcon +Anima immediately paled and took a few steps back when she heard Unibas' answer. "_**L-Lexa**__?_ Why _her?_ A-are you _sure_ that's the best idea?"

Unibas looked back at them for a moment. During that moment, Zacyr was surprised by the look in Unibas' eyes. Zacyr just couldn't read Unibas' expression. "Don't try to persuade me otherwise, Lerigna. I've put a great amount of thought into this decision."

The falcon +Anima looked like she wanted to argue, but she soon sighed and looked away from Unibas. "I . . . alright, Unibas."

While Zacyr was certainly confused by this event, he didn't have long to ponder it. Soon Zacyr found himself being flown through the mansion. Soon Lerigna flew Zacyr out of the mansion through a broken window. After a few seconds of silence, Lerigna spoke to Zacyr. "Look, I . . . whatever happens, Unibas knows what he's doing. Don't take it personally. I . . . why the _hell_ would . . . b-but his plans always work out, so I guess there _must_ be a reason, but . . ."

Zacyr gulped as they began to descend. "Who's Lexa, and why are you so nervous?"

He immediately regretted his question. While Lerigna didn't grow offended by the question, she clearly was nervous. At Zacyr's question, her talons gripped him just a little tighter, and it quite certainly hurt. "She . . . you'll see soon enough. I-I don't know how to explain it."

Zacyr raised an eyebrow, but he didn't have long to question it. Lerigna set him down in front of a large building that overall looked rather well-kept. What exactly was the problem? Zacyr looked up at Lerigna, and noticed her eyeing the house with what was clearly fear. "On the second floor, down the hallway . . . well, you'll know which room is hers. I-uh, I've got somewhere I need to be, so I can't lead you inside right now. S-see you around!"

Without even giving Zacyr a chance to say goodbye Lerigna quickly took wing and flew off into the distance. Well, that wasn't a good sign. For a while Zacyr stood there, trying to figure out just what was going on. Eventually, he sighed. He was in an area where just about everyone wanted to kill him, how bad could this Lexa be?

Zacyr soon opened up the door, having to fight back a shiver as the door creaked ominously. Why was he so nervous? He had to calm down, and as such started taking some deep breaths. It wouldn't do to get worked up over nothing, and would likely leave a bad impression. Once Zacyr felt calm enough, he looked around.

He was surprised to see that this building actually looked to be in good shape. It suddenly struck Zacyr that this must have been an inn at some point. There were quite a few rooms here, and he had to guess that they were all empty. It looked like this place could actually hold a _lot_ of people, yet this 'Lexa' was the only person here?

No, he had to calm down. Not everything was as dangerous as it appeared, he had to remember that. As Zacyr began climbing the stairs, he forced his thoughts to turn towards Lerigna. Had it just been him, or had Lerigna been looking at him rather fondly? The thought brought a grin to Zacyr's face. If Lerigna was in love with him then Sarysi would be _pissed_.

Zacyr was determined to not be afraid of this Lexa. He was determined that, no matter _what,_ Lexa couldn't be all that bad. But when he got to the top of the stairs and looked down the hallway, he froze. There was _spider silk_ on the door at the end of the hallway! Oh, _shit!_ Was Lexa a _**spider **_+Anima_?_ It couldn't be, th-that just wasn't _fair!_ This was bad, but . . . n-no, he was overreacting. It was probably his god-damn arachnophobia kicking in. After all, _he_ had been a spider +Anima at one point and as far as he could tell, _he_ wasn't exactly the first thing that came to mind when someone thought 'scary' or 'evil'. Well, he _hoped_ he wasn't.

It took a while for Zacyr to walk over to that door. He tried to think of anything else, but his thoughts invariably were forced back to him trying to imagine what he was about to see. Eventually he forced himself to speed up. The images forming in his head, of what Lexa was and possible reasons that Lerigna was scared of her, only proved that Zacyr had one _hell_ of an imagination. Once he finally got to that door he knocked on the wall. He sure as _hell _wasn't going to knock on a door covered in spider silk!

It wasn't long before a rough female voice came from the room. There was something strange about it, like something was partially inhibiting her ability to speak. "It's open."

Zacyr gulped, but after a few deep breaths he reached for the doorknob and forced himself to open the door.

He was rather confused at the room he saw. Lexa clearly liked her silk, because over half of the room was _covered_ in it. It was just as clear that Lexa liked the dark. The lighting in here was _awful_. While there was a window, Lexa had put in black drapes clearly designed to keep the light at a minimum even during the day. Overall, Zacyr had to admit that Lexa sure knew how to scare someone.

But what was _missing_ from the room was another figure. Zacyr was alone, as far as he could see in the little light that got through the drapes. But . . . that couldn't be, hadn't he heard someone _just_ respond from inside this room?

"You must be Zacyr."

Zacyr flinched at the statement. What really surprised him was that it was coming from _behind_ him. But when he turned around, he didn't actually see anyone. Okay . . . He even looked up at the wall, but all he could see was a bright-red hourglass drawn on a dimly lit wall. The hourglass drawing was pretty big, although what it meant Zacyr didn't know. It was a little bit before he remembered that Lexa had stated his name. "Y-yeah, I'm Zacyr. Unibas told me"

Wait. Oh, no. This was bad. Zacyr gulped as he realized what he was looking at. What he had mistaken for a simple drawing now moved of its own accord, and began heading towards the floor. It took a while before Zacyr got his nerve back enough to speak, although his voice was starting to get high-pitched, and he started speaking faster. "He told me that I was to stay here when I wasn't helping with a job. I-I hope I'm n-not interrupting anything."

He _still_ couldn't see Lexa clearly. It was too dark to really see her, although he could see the marking that must have been a part of her abdomen just fine. She didn't reply to his apology, and for a moment Zacyr felt an almost uncontrollable desire to flee. He knew he was shaking, but he kept trying to blame it on his arachnophobia.

"Zacyr, do you know what you are?"

_**Do you know what you are?**_

_Oh __**god**__ no!_ How did she know about _that?_ How did she know about what Zacyr heard in the nightmare he had almost _every time_ he fell asleep?

_**Do you know what you are? You are not my enemy. You are not a threat to me. YOU, ARE, MY, PREY!**_

Zacyr took one step back, unable to stop his shaking.

_**Do you know what you are?**_

Zacyr took another step back, unable to stop the words that were reverberating through his head. He couldn't hear anything but those words. He couldn't think about anything else. Sweat was pouring down his face as the entire area seemed to shift.

First, it was him in the bathroom during his dream, when his reflection grinned at him. Zacyr took another step back as his reflection put its hand on the glass. Then the area changed again, and he saw the massive spider walking out of his room. It looked at him, and it gave a sadistic grin.

That was all it took. Zacyr didn't know where he was anymore, all he knew was that he had the urge to turn around and run for his life.

_**Do you know what you are? You are not my enemy. You are not a threat to me.**_

Zacyr barely registered his location as he dashed down the stairs. For a moment, he wondered how there were stairs in his house, but that thought was forced out of his mind.

_**YOU, ARE, MY, PREY!**_

Zacyr was on the first floor, racing towards the door. It was only when he put his hand to the doorknob that he really even noticed he had bolted from Lexa's room. What was he _doing_? He had to calm down, he had to control himself!

The area around him solidified, although only partially. He wasn't in his room. This wasn't the house he had lived in for so long. This was the abandoned inn that Lexa lived in, and Zacyr had a hand on the doorknob of the very door that would lead outside.

While he still felt the urge to run - quite strongly, in fact - Zacyr instead did something else. He had no idea where the idea came from, and he had no idea why he did it. He brought his arm close to his face and opened his mouth. He then bit his own arm, hard. While it was a completely stupid idea that could only have been made by his own panicking mind, he was shocked when it _worked_. The pain of the bite snapped him out of his state of terror, and Zacyr soon unclenched his jaw and let his arm hang limply.

He took deep breaths as logic finally returned to his mind. No one could know of the nightmares he had. She must have meant something else, and Zacyr had just bolted for what was probably an innocent question. Damn it, he had _never_ lost control of himself like that before.

Zacyr sighed as he rubbed his sore arm. It was only when he felt the liquid flowing down his arm that he was actually aware of it. He immediately looked at his arm, and couldn't have been more shocked when he saw two circular wounds on his arm, a bit in front of where the bite-mark from his earlier trick was.

It looked like he had been bitten by something with two large fangs. For a moment he wondered about it before remembering that he had other, more important things to think about. Maybe he had just scraped his arm against something while he was fleeing in terror, and the circular shape was just coincidence. After bandaging his arm, Zacyr sighed. He had to try to explain his actions to Lexa. He should have _controlled_ himself better, damn it!

Zacyr turned around, and made for the stairs. How could he explain his actions? He needed time to come up with a believable excuse, but when he looked towards Lexa's door he was deeply shocked to find a person wearing a black cowl standing a bit outside the door. While most of her face was hidden by the hood of the cowl, she appeared to have a slight smirk on her face. More importantly, her hood was aimed in Zacyr's direction. She obviously could see him. Zacyr blushed, trying to find a good explanation for him freaking out. "I uh . . . s-sorry. I-I don't normally do that."

The woman's smirk grew just a bit. This time when she spoke her voice sounded slightly different. It was still rough, but no longer sounded like something was making it hard for her to speak. "You still going to live here?"

Zacyr nodded meekly, still thinking about what had happened mere moments beforehand. The woman surprised Zacyr by gracefully leaping over the railing and landing neatly on the first floor. Zacyr was completely shocked. Lexa's slower movements before had given him the misconception that she wasn't all that quick when it had come to moving. "Follow me."

Lexa turned and walked towards one of the doors Zacyr followed behind, still embarrassed that he had been so afraid beforehand. When they were about to pass one of the doors, Lexa turned and looked at Zacyr. "I could tell you not to come into this room, but curiosity is a bitch. It's probably best you learn _from_ me what is in this room."

Zacyr gulped, but nodded. It took a bit, but Lexa soon turned the doorknob and opened the door. Zacyr was in no way prepared for the sight before him. There were quite a few people in here, all of them wrapped in so much spider silk that they had no chance to escape.

"I'm warning you right now, Zacyr. If you attempt to free any of them, then you will join them."

Zacyr gulped as one of the silk cocoons moved a bit, muffled shouting coming from inside. "These . . . these are prisoners of war?"

"No."

Zacyr looked at Lexa, who gave a slight smirk as she looked at the people wrapped in silk. "These are my meals."

* * *

><p>There are so many things I could comment on here. Well . . . let's start with this.<p>

I do understand that this chapter introduces a LOT of stuff, but I intend to explain the situation more clearly in later chapters. This one's SUPPOSED to go through a lot of things.

I have absolutely no idea how this chapter grew to over 8000 words. It honestly wasn't expected to grow this large, but . . . I kind of like it this way. I'll leave it at that for now.


	52. First Impressions

Alright, I've got a few things to say.

Sorry about the misunderstanding. In response to your _actual_ question, well . . . I kind of made up Ryca's disability. I decided that the formula (psychological trauma+brain damage) was more than capable of creating a bizarre disability like this, so in all honesty it's just an excuse so the disability can work. I plan on going more into detail of Ryca's disability, but . . . yeah, there's a reason you haven't heard of it. I'm sure that as the story continues then Ryca's disability will start to look like a _real_ disability, but from the start it's been completely made up.

SO, moving on.

Everything that _could_ have gone wrong with this chapter _did_ go wrong. It went through a few rewrites, some expansion . . . all in all, it should _not_ have taken this long to create this chapter. I'm shocked that it _did_ take me this long. But hey, it's done now.

So, here's the story!

* * *

><p>Ryca, Kshtsi, Tachine, and Sarysi all walked behind the group of +Anima. Kshtsi couldn't believe how <em>fast<em> this was all going. Zacyr had been flown to the city, and now they were going to be brought to the city. How could they get out of this? The worst part was just how _cleverly_ they had been outmaneuvered. The +Anima here had made certain to move Zacyr immediately, and while it may have been _partially_ so he could reach their leader safely, it also would stop any more escape attempts from the group. There was no way that Kshtsi would leave Zacyr alone and at the mercy of these +Anima!

Kshtsi didn't notice that his expression was giving away the conflict within his head. He also didn't see the hyena +Anima looking at him with a slight smile, at least not until the hyena +Anima spoke up. "The human mind is a curious device."

Kshtsi snapped out of it, blushing furiously. However, the hyena +Anima spoke kindly to Kshtsi. "If you try hard enough, you can misinterpret _anything_ that _anyone_ does. Isn't that right?"

He didn't even need to ask what the hyena +Anima was getting at. While Kshtsi didn't give an answer, the hyena +Anima decided to continue speaking. "Our leader, Unibas, is a very kind and caring leader. Zacyr shall not be harmed."

Kshtsi sighed at that. "But what about everyone else? What if that bird +Anima decided to drop him halfway there? How can we know that he _will_ make it there?"

The hyena +Anima gave another kind smile. "Lerigna won't harm him. She was chosen to transport Zacyr _because_ she doesn't hold a grudge against humans. Besides, didn't you see the way she smiled at him?"

Kshtsi had to grin to that. He _had _seen that, and . . . well, that brought up a different problem entirely. To his amusement, Sarysi spoke up. Her voice was laced with venom as she spoke, clenching her fists. "If she tries to take Zacyr away from me, I am going to slice her goddamn head off."

The hyena +Anima grinned towards Sarysi, but every head turned to face Oroco when he spoke. "You have to be _kidding_ me. A human is not worth fighting to the death over!"

Sarysi grinned as she honed her claws, but Kshtsi was shocked when Ryca spoke up. He was clearly forcing himself to be calm as he glared at Oroco. "Zacyr and I go back a ways, Oroco. I understand that you dislike humans, but I would appreciate it if you don't talk about my friend like that."

Oroco clearly didn't agree with Ryca, and Kshtsi rolled his eyes when Oroco began to speak. "Don't you _get it?_ A human becomes a +Anima if they are put in a life-threatening situation. _We_ are the ones that have adapted to survive. A human doesn't know what it's like to suffer like a +Anima does!"

Kshtsi sighed, but was shocked when the hyena +Anima smirked at Oroco. "So, to pull out the basic facts, we are better because all of us have managed to cheat death once? But following _that_ line of logic, shouldn't _humans_ be superior because they didn't need to _use_ the second chance?"

Oroco viciously glared at the hyena +Anima. "Oh? So that gives them the right to take us off of the street, torture us, take everything we own, then throw us into a ring with another +Anima and tell both the +Anima that they have to kill each other? You make me _sick!_"

"Well-"

Kshtsi was surprised when one of the +Anima immediately spoke over the hyena one. "_Yena!_ Stop egging him on, damn it!"

The hyena +Anima chuckled before he apologized, and Kshtsi cocked his head as he looked at Oroco. For most of the walk, Kshtsi had been trying to figure out what Oroco was a +Anima of. He had bird legs, and his waist was surrounded with strange feathers. What he did _not_ have were wings. But . . . didn't bird +Anima normally grow wings?

"What are _**you**_ looking at?"

Kshtsi flinched then blushed as he realized he had been staring at Oroco. "N-nothing."

Oroco smirked at Kshtsi, but to their surprise Yena - the hyena +Anima - spoke up again. "He's a chicken +Anima."

For just a moment Kshtsi believed Yena, until he saw the playful grin on Yena's face. Oroco immediately spoke up, sounding quite enraged. This must have been a common joke from Yena. "_I am NOT a chicken +Anima, you asshole! I'm an __**EMU**__ +Anima! __**EMU!**_ They are huge flightless birds that _run!_ Now stop being an ass!"

Yena laughed, but left it at that. It was only after another +Anima - this one's back covered in bizarre scales that resembled the spines of a pinecone - mumbled something to Yena that Yena flinched. "Oh! Right, sorry."

Yena cleared his throat, and soon addressed Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine. "Alright, so from today forwards you are a part of the +Anima side of Wralb. Here are some pointers for the three of you. Do not try to run away. We see that as betrayal, and it will be dealt with as such. Secondly, and this is mainly for Kshtsi and Tachine, try to stay out of fights. If someone challenges you two, don't let them force you into a fight. Sarysi, you seem like the type of person that would do the challenging, and it's common for new fighters to be challenged in order for the other fighters to learn their skill level. So long as you follow those two pointers, there shouldn't be much trouble."

He left it at that, and for a few minutes the large group simply walked in silence. After a bit more time, Kshtsi asked about what they would be expected to do. Yena gave a slight smile as he answered. "Well, that depends on what you're good at. I have no doubt Sarysi will be a fighter. However, I'm not one hundred percent sure about the two of you."

Kshtsi sighed as he shook his head. There was no way he'd be a fighter, he didn't have a weapon that he could use. What was worse, he couldn't control what his tentacles stung. They wouldn't sting _him,_ but the stinging was triggered by something beyond Kshtsi's control. He'd be too dangerous in his +Anima form. What was more, Kshtsi wasn't violent by nature. He just wouldn't be a good fighter.

Yena soon asked what Kshtsi could do, and Kshtsi blushed as he realized he had no answer. Now that he thought of it, he barely did _anything_ in the groups besides for monitor Zacyr's Lihalune. And of course, he had stopped doing that when Sarysi demanded Zacyr take no more Lihalune. Now, Kshtsi did little more than leech off of his group for . . . well, everything.

Kshtsi blushed even more. He hadn't really thought of it like this before. Tachine, as she had explained to the group, had been teaching Zacyr how to read. Sarysi was something like a bodyguard for the entire group, and because Zacyr always had so much to think about, he really didn't have much time to do much. So what did Kshtsi really do? "I . . . uh . . ."

Kshtsi wasn't certain how to explain that he didn't really do anything, but fortunately for him Tachine noticed his problem. She chuckled before she addressed Yena. "He's an excellent fisherman."

Kshtsi flinched at that. He had completely forgotten about that, it was just so much part of their activities for him to get fish that he didn't really see it as work. However, Yena grinned broadly as he looked at Kshtsi. "That's perfect! It's not easy finding food for over a hundred +Anima. Alright, now what about you Ta-"

"Hey, we're here!"

Kshtsi flinched as he looked forwards. A little bit in front of them the trees parted, showing a few buildings close by. It wasn't long before Kshtsi and the +Anima group were walking through the street, which was crowded with +Anima. Kshtsi was surprised to find that most of the other +Anima were muttering to themselves, although when he got close enough to hear them he was both shocked and annoyed to figure out it was all about Zacyr.

"Unibas has finally lost it."

"Meh, it's one slip. He sure as hell don't get them much, and I'm certain that human shall either turn into a +Anima or just die soon, so it don't matter much."

Kshtsi rolled his eyes, but suddenly froze as he looked a bit farther in. He was shocked to find a lord's mansion not far away, and now that he saw it . . . how hadn't he seen it before? It was on raised ground, and clearly positioned to be capable of being seen no matter _where_ in the village a person was.

Kshtsi focused when Yena got their attention. "Alright. First up, you all can sleep in the same building that Ryca owns. Since this is your first day here, think of yourselves as tourists. +Anima will let you know where you can and can't go, but tomorrow - and this applies to Zacyr too - you are to report to the mansion. It's over there."

Yena pointed, and Kshtsi almost grinned as both Sarysi and Tachine flinched. "Wow, how'd we miss that?"

Yena chuckled before telling his group to disperse. Soon Sarysi, Tachine, Kshtsi, and Ryca were by themselves in the city. Kshtsi was shocked when Ryca spoke, blushing something awful as he attempted an apology. "S-sorry for this. I honestly wanted you to do that so you wouldn't do this, e-especially him. I uh . . . I-I don't have to do that now so I can do this instead. I-is that fine?"

Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine all looked at each other. Kshtsi kind of wished they had a translator, but after a bit of decrypting they all came up with the idea that Ryca was trying to ask to stay with them for the day, and that he was trying to say he didn't have to do anything else today, which Ryca nodded to. Kshtsi soon decided it was alright, and decided to ask if Ryca could show them where he lived, seeing how they were apparently going to sleep in the same area as him. Ryca eagerly agreed - a bit _too_ eagerly, in fact - and soon led them through the streets.

After taking a few turns, Ryca smiled as he stood before a doorway. "Right here! This is it. In here. I live here."

Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine all exchanged slight grins as they looked the building over. This had to have been a bar at some point, not too long ago either judging from the smell. The group soon went inside, and Kshtsi's jaw dropped when he looked around.

Now, he knew Ryca used art to express himself . . . if his drawings before could be called 'art'. But . . . _man_, he had one _hell_ of an artistic flair. The walls of this bar were _covered_ in drawings, and many of them seemed to have been drawn just for the sake of drawing. Those ones were quite impressive drawings, especially since they were from the same boy that earlier had been drawing squares for buildings.

Kshtsi was really shocked as he looked at wall after wall of paintings. What was really surprising was just how much these paintings could tell Kshtsi about Ryca. What was more, _many_ of them were of a boy Kshtsi at first mistook to be Ryca, until he really looked hard at it and noticed the facial expressions. Were these all of _Zacyr?_ Did he really mean that much to Ryca?

Kshtsi looked at picture after picture, and suddenly he realized something shocking. Were these all _memories?_ Yeah, now that he really looked at them . . . half of them were of Ryca, half of them were Zacyr. Yeah, this picture here . . . this must have been how Ryca met Zacyr, they both looked so similar. What was more, this picture really looked like Zacyr would have if he was just a bit younger. He looked so timid, clinging to a proud-looking woman's side. His mother was speaking to a man, who had Ryca hiding behind him.

Then here . . . both Zacyr and Ryca were sitting on a log, although Kshtsi couldn't tell which one was which. If these pictures were colored in somehow, he would be able to differentiate between Ryca and Zacyr easily, but in black and white they both looked the same. One of them - in the picture - was in the fetal position, and Kshtsi could almost see him casting fearful glances around him. The other one was . . . crying? He looked really upset, and was pulling his hair in frustration. Was that Ryca?

"It was always so frustrating."

Kshtsi flinched before he turned to see Ryca looking at the drawings. "No matter what I tried to say, I couldn't get myself to say it. Then I met Zacyr. We were so similar, both of us with our own respective problems, too worried to overcome them . . ."

Ryca trailed off, and Kshtsi looked back at the pictures. The next one showed Ryca clinging to Zacyr, which Kshtsi could only tell because . . . wait. The one in front had something covering his mouth, clearly to keep himself from speaking. If that was Ryca . . . Was it _Zacyr_ that had been clinging to _Ryca?_

Yeah, and then this picture here . . . these shadowy figures seemed to represent Zacyr's hallucinations, and Ryca seemed to be trying to comfort Zacyr. Then their parents were standing here, watching with sad eyes . . . Was it _Zacyr_ that was more afraid of his condition than Ryca? Yeah, Ryca was the one comforting Zacyr!

And then here, this must have been when Erika worked to get Zacyr's confidence back. Zacyr was holding a mouse, and looked excited. But in the background, Ryca was standing with a look of shock, looking . . . really upset as, in the next picture, Zacyr began speaking to other kids.

"He was the first thing I could call a friend."

Kshtsi turned to find Ryca looking at his pictures, a timid smile on his face. "I know it was wrong now to be so upset, but I couldn't help it. He no longer was hindered by his problem, he could make more friends . . . it felt like he no longer needed me. I felt like he was just going to walk away from me and leave me all alone again."

Kshtsi was surprised when he looked at the next picture. Ryca had been upset, alright . . . here he was crying as he ran away from the group of kids, who looked startled. And in the next picture, Ryca ran into a house, and soon ran to a room that was probably his before sitting down and simply crying. The picture after that showed Zacyr running into Ryca's room, and in the next Zacyr sat down with Ryca on his bed. In the next picture Zacyr was looking around.

In the picture after that, Zacyr's eyes were wide open, and in the next he left the bed and he walked towards the side of the picture. The next picture showed what Zacyr had seen: a perfect drawing of him and Ryca holding hands, with two different lengths of rope pinned to the wall above it. In the next picture, Zacyr beamed towards a clearly startled Ryca, but in the next Zacyr raced out of the room and left Ryca alone.

Quite a few pictures after that made it clear Ryca was worried about why Zacyr had ran out of the room, thought bubbles showing that Ryca had believed Zacyr thought Ryca was a freak for being obsessed with Zacyr. But a bit farther in through the pictures Zacyr reappeared, dragging a clearly startled Erika with him.

It was hard to remember that these were pictures. Even for just being black and white, they were so well _drawn_ . . .

In the next one, Zacyr was showing a clearly shocked Erika the drawing, beaming at Ryca as a speech bubble showed that Zacyr was praising Ryca's work. In the next drawing, Erika was agreeing with Zacyr, and Ryca looked extremely shocked. After that, Zacyr and Erika made Ryca begin to carry chalk and brought him to the other kids.

Ryca's next drawing (drawn to show the other kids his drawing skills) wasn't as good as his first one, but everyone's eyes opened wide as Ryca (in the picture) apologized. The speech bubbles showed that Ryca's sentences were making sense. The next drawings were a practical blur of activity, showing Ryca drawing again and again, using them to bypass his communication problem, growing more and more confident with each drawing.

Kshtsi was so engrossed in the pictures that he didn't even realize he had been moving to look at each one. So after a picture that looked _exactly_ like the one Ryca had drawn in his bedroom (in his drawings), Kshtsi was shocked when he found himself looking at the very first drawing again. Finally freed of the captivating effect of the drawings, Kshtsi looked around to figure out what was going on, and was completely shocked to find he had made an entire trip around the walls.

Wow, if Zacyr could only see the effect he had had on Ryca, even after all of this time . . . it was quite clear that Ryca cared dearly for the boy that became friends with Ryca, the one that had helped Ryca become the kid he was today. Kshtsi couldn't help but smile at the real Ryca.

"Wow, Ryca. Zacyr really means a _lot_ to you."

Kshtsi grinned when Ryca nodded happily. "Yeah. We were best friends. He did so much for me. He didn't make me feel like a normal person, he made me feel like I was _better_ than a normal person."

Kshtsi couldn't help but chuckle as Ryca hugged himself, a huge smile on his face. Ryca had such a hard time hiding his emotions from the world, he acted like a little kid . . . it looked so strange to see this bizarre doppelganger of Zacyr in all but colors look so childish.

It was a little bit before Kshtsi remembered that this building was going to be his, Sarysi, and Tachine's sleeping quarters for right now. Ryca was all too happy to show them around. Kshtsi was really shocked when he looked around. Ryca had drawn on just about every surface of the building.

The drawings were all drawn in a strange black chalk, which Ryca happily explained could be washed off at any time if he ran out of room. He shocked them when he explained that all of these drawings were made in the last _week_, although the drawings in the main room were made a while beforehand. After explaining where they went to get food, water, and where to go to the bathroom (using newly-made drawings to explain), Ryca then explained that he was going to be busy for most of the day and that all three of them could come and go as they pleased.

Once Ryca left, Kshtsi turned to face the girls. "Well, how are we getting out of here?"

Tachine simply shrugged, but Sarysi gulped. "I . . . I don't know. Most of these +Anima here look like they're as tough as I am, so fighting our way out is quite clearly not an option. Sneaking out is too risky. I hate to say it, but from what I understand, we're stuck here."

Kshtsi gulped. After a bit of silence passed, Tachine spoke up. "We should see if Zacyr has any ideas. But . . . we don't know where he is."

Sarysi gave a slight grin before walking towards the door. "No, but I bet the leader does. Let's go see this 'Unibas', and see what we can learn from him."

Kshtsi and Tachine soon agreed, and in a little bit the group was walking out of Ryca's place, and over to the mansion. On the way there, Kshtsi noticed that they were getting quite a few stares from the +Anima, and he unconsciously moved closer to the group. Sarysi seemed to notice Kshtsi's nervousness, as did Tachine, but they said nothing.

About half-way to the mansion, a female +Anima with strange cat-eyes and large teeth purposefully walked right in front of the group and told them to stop. Kshtsi cringed, but Sarysi actually smirked at the +Anima. "Hey look, a little pussycat is blocking our way. Hey there, kitty!"

The female +Anima hissed at Sarysi. "You are not to walk through the streets in your _human_ form! We are different from humans, why should you pretend to be one?"

Kshtsi gulped as both Sarysi and Tachine went into their +Anima forms. Tachine clearly went into hers to simply avoid a fight, but Sarysi was clearly going into hers to make a threat. Undaunted, the cat +Anima hissed at Kshtsi. "You too!"

Kshtsi blushed furiously. Eventually, he was aware that many of the +Anima were eyeing him angrily. Eventually, he realized that he had no choice. His face turned even redder as tentacles sprouted from his waist, and complete silence filled the air.

Eventually, many of the +Anima burst out laughing, and Kshtsi looked away as the cat +Anima walked closer. "_**He's wearing a DRESS! **_That's _hysterical!_ I can't even _begin_ to figure out-"

Kshtsi flinched as he felt the cat +Anima put her hand around one of his tentacles. The tentacle immediately reacted by stinging the cat +Anima, who screamed as she let go. "_**OH FUCK WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? My hand is burning! BURNING! It HURTS! IT BURNS! MAKE IT STOP!**_"

Kshtsi blushed as he retracted the tentacles. "I'm a box jellyfish +Anima. They give a _nasty_ sting with their tentacles."

The cat +Anima immediately looked at Kshtsi with shock, cringing as the wound now on her hand continued to agitate her. "Y-you . . . m-most +a-Anima should s-stay in their +Anima f-forms on the streets, b-but . . . _**FUCK!**_ W-we'll tell others why y-you _shouldn't_ b-be in your +Anima form."

The cat +Anima cursed again before running off, and to Kshtsi's shock Sarysi chuckled. "Alright, let's continue."

And they did. The scene repeated itself a few times, where Kshtsi was chewed out until he went into his +Anima form, and invariably the +Anima got themselves stung. All in all, by the time they finally got to the mansion Kshtsi had stung at least ten different +Anima.

Eventually though, they got to the mansion. They were surprised to find a good-sized crowd around the entrance to the mansion, and standing in the entrance of the mansion itself was a tall man with the face of a jackal. Right now, that man's body language showed that he was getting quite annoyed at the crowd.

It only took Kshtsi a few seconds of listening to the crowd to truly figure out why. "Unibas, _he's not a +Anima!_ He's one of _them!_ When push comes to shove, he'll slit our throats in order to save his _own _neck!"

Eventually, Unibas gave a sharp bark that silenced the crowd. He then addressed them, his voice belaying only a tinge of the clear anger he felt. "You do not trust your leader? Zacyr may not be a +Anima, but he has repeatedly proven himself to be a friend to +Anima. When his allies were in danger of being captured or harmed, Zacyr put his life on the line again and again to keep them safe. He proved himself to be a good friend to Ryca, as Ryca told me of him _long_ ago. He has over _nine_ +Anima that claim to know him, and all of them are greatly concerned for his safety."

One of the +Anima in the crowd spoke up, and Kshtsi was shocked to realize it was Oroco. "All this proves is how dangerous he is! He's tricked _nine_ +Anima into siding with him! He's a manipulative bastard that can't be trusted, he's one of _them!_"

Kshtsi sighed, but Unibas surprised him by baring his teeth at Oroco. "I know quite well why you hate him Oroco. It's because you can't push him around. When you sliced his back open he retaliated, as can be naturally expected from _any_ sentient being. You can't push _me_ around either, Oroco."

Kshtsi watched as Oroco glared at Unibas. "This isn't about you, Unibas! This is about _him_! I am _not_ going to allow someone from _their_ side behind _our_ lines! Even _tactically_, this is a _huge_ mistake!"

Unibas' ears twitched with anger as he crossed his arms and emitted a low growl towards Oroco. "A _**mistake**_? You can't talk to me about _**mistakes**_, Oroco! What happened in that last battle? _Why exactly_ did I give your job as general to Ryca? Because unlike _you_, Ryca won't 'improvise' his orders to fix the 'flaws' in _**my**_ plan, and he won't get his _entire squad __**slaughtered! **_You let your hatred of humans blind you to the threat, and you cost us _ten_ fighters because of it!"

Oroco gnashed his teeth, but Kshtsi noticed that Oroco's face was rapidly turning red. "So you put someone that can't even _speak_ properly in my position? He . . . _this isn't about that!_"

Kshtsi couldn't have been more surprised when Unibas barked at Oroco, slamming a fist against the doorway. "_**Oh, yes it IS!**_ You are supposed to be backing Ryca up _right now_, and instead you choose to come to my mansion and question my authority _and_ my intelligence! Do you have _any_ idea how _dire_ your own situation is? If Ryca's squad is killed, I will have _your __**WHOLE DAMN GROUP HERE**_be brought to Lexa! _Do I make myself __**clear?**_"

Oroco gnashed his teeth, but Kshtsi was shocked when well over half the group behind Oroco sprinted away from the mansion. Soon the rest of them followed, and only Oroco was left there with Unibas. The two of them glared at each other for a little bit, but then Oroco sighed and stormed off. "Fine, but after we've backed him up I _will_ be coming back here!"

Only when Oroco had walked out of sight did Kshtsi remember why he, Sarysi, and Tachine had come here in the first place. While he didn't feel like speaking to Unibas when Unibas was clearly so angry, but when he moved to leave Unibas' ear twitched and he turned to look at them.

To Kshtsi's shock, Unibas gave a huge sigh of relief before politely telling the three of them that they could approach. Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine all immediately complied. Once they were standing at the entrance, Unibas gave them a tired smile. "I apologize for not speaking to you sooner. It's been a very tiring day for me."

Kshtsi nodded, trying his best to be sympathetic. "Yeah. I don't mean to be . . . blunt, but . . . is _everyone_ reacting to Zacyr like that?"

Unibas sighed before shaking his head. "No, but the number of +Anima that accept him is _vastly_ outnumbered by the +Anima that hate him. I've had group after group of +Anima marching up to me and demanding me to have Zacyr killed. It's _ridiculous_. Every +Anima here was once a human, and yet they preach that _all_ humans are cruel."

Unibas sighed again before looking off into the distance, a glazed look in his eyes. After a few seconds, Unibas abruptly shook his head and gave a tired smile towards the group. "Either way, is there anything I could help you with?"

Kshtsi gulped, but Tachine spoke up. "Yeah. We'd like to see Zacyr, but we don't know where he is."

Unibas gave an 'ah' before looking away. "Zacyr's location was a hard one to choose. With the amount of hatred the +Anima feel towards him, it was quite difficult to find a place he would be safe. But I shall explain that to you another time. Zacyr lives with Lexa. But before I tell you how to get there, I wish to give you a warning. If things get out of hand during your visit, tell Lexa that you are friends of Zacyr. Alright?"

Kshtsi, Sarysi, and Tachine soon agreed. Apparently satisfied, Unibas gave them directions to Zacyr's location. Before the group left, Unibas repeated his warning before wishing them luck. The group politely said goodbye to him before leaving, following his directions.

On the way there, Kshtsi kept getting a weird feeling. Why had Unibas given them a warning about visiting Zacyr? And who was this Lexa person? Didn't Unibas use her as a threat against Oroco's group? Yeah, and Oroco's group had almost immediately obeyed after that threat. What was more, that warning . . . _oh_, was Lexa a bodyguard for Zacyr? She must have been extremely strong in order for Oroco's group to have been so worried about her.

After a few minutes of walking, the group eventually found themselves in front of what had once been an inn. Kshtsi and Tachine spoke to each other about how to best approach this situation. Tachine started the conversation. "Alright, so we're stuck in a place full of hateful +Anima that want Zacyr to die. It makes sense to me that he does not want to be reminded of that. Above all, we have to be sensitive to the fact that he's in a bad position."

Kshtsi nodded, but they both jumped when Sarysi bashed down the door with her scorpion claws. "_**ZACYR! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!**_"

For a small amount of time both Kshtsi and Tachine just stood there, staring at the ruined door, and Sarysi, in shock. Eventually, Kshtsi grinned and shook his head. "I don't know what I was expecting you to do."

Sarysi turned around with a playful grin on her face, but it soon faded away as she looked back inside. "The hell? He _had_ to have heard that. Why isn't he answering?"

Kshtsi frowned. Sarysi had a point there. It wasn't long before they all entered the building, looking around in confusion. The inn was quite large from the inside. But what was missing was . . . well, the inhabitants. Zacyr wasn't anywhere in sight, and neither was this 'Lexa' person. "Where are-"

"_**OH MY GOD! **_Look over there!"

Kshtsi flinched, but soon followed a horrified Tachine's eyesight. What he saw shocked him to the core. An open door was leading to a room completely covered in spider silk, and on the wall was a white cocoon the size of a person! _What was going on here?_

When the cocoon moved with a muffled shout, Kshtsi's heart almost stopped. It was a person, a male by the sound of the voice. Was that . . .

Tachine immediately raced over to the room, as did Sarysi. "What the hell happened to-"

Kshtsi watched as both Tachine and Sarysi reached the cocoon, but his heart stopped when he saw something else move into view from the other side of that room. Someone completely covered in a pure-black cowl was quickly making their way over to the girls! "_**Tachine, Sarysi! BEHIND YOU!**_"

Both the girls turned around, and the instant they saw the approaching figure Sarysi immediately got into a fighting stance. "Tachine, get him out of there! I'll hold this _thing_ off!"

The other figure gave a cruel chuckle as they walked forwards. When they spoke, their voice was cold and cruel. "You won't deny me my meal."

Sarysi grinned as she got ready to strike. "_**Watch me!**_"

Without another word, Sarysi charged towards the figure. Kshtsi watched as Tachine reached for her dagger, and frantically tried to cut the cocoon down. The sounds from inside of it were almost frantic, Zacyr had to be _terrified!_

Then . . . it was so fast . . . Sarysi reached the figure, but the figure _easily_ dodged Sarysi's claws. When Sarysi tried to sting the figure, they caught her by the stinger, and in one fluid motion tossed her in Tachine's direction. The two of them collided, and the momentum caused them to hit the wall. Kshtsi gulped when Sarysi and Tachine tried to get away from the wall, but they had gotten caught in the silk. The figure simply chuckled as they walked towards the two girls. "Not often people volunteer to be food. That was a poorly thought out rescue attempt. I"

It was Kshtsi's fear that got him to speak. This was already out of hand! "We're friends of Zacyr!"

He couldn't have been more surprised when the figure froze in place. They looked at Kshtsi, then at the cocoon. Kshtsi gulped as he looked at the cocoon. He had to find a way to get Zacyr out of there. He had to find a way to help Tachine and Sarysi! But what could-

"That's not Zacyr."

Kshtsi felt a bolt of lightning race through him. He looked at the figure in shock, and from under the figure's cowl Kshtsi saw a slight grin appear. "I am Lexa. My job is to interrogate those that are brought to me, and dispose of them afterwards."

As she spoke, Lexa walked over to the cocoon that Kshtsi's group had believed to hold Zacyr. She casually grabbed the top part, and yanked down a large amount of the webbing. Exposed was . . . well, it sure as hell wasn't Zacyr. This person had bizarre green hair, and strange yellow eyes. Those same eyes were looking at Lexa in pure terror, and Kshtsi soon heard Lexa chuckle. "This here is a snitch that attempted to give the human side information that could have led to our defeat. I shall be interrogating him soon. But for now, he should enjoy the lack of pain. It's not going to last forever, and once I inject him with my digestive fluids, well . . . from my understanding, it's quite excruciating. But you should not concern yourselves with him."

The boy shivered in fear as Lexa's lower half suddenly grew. It wasn't long before Kshtsi and the girls got to see where all the silk came from, as Lexa quickly re-wrapped the boy's head with silk from a large spider's abdomen. Once she was done, she left her +Anima form. "I understand that those in fear make rash decisions, you two. Consider this a warning. Next time you try to deprive me of a meal, you _will_ take their place. Do you understand?"

Both Tachine and Sarysi nodded quickly. Lexa walked over to where the two of them were stuck against the wall, and soon got them down. It was really strange, actually. Lexa's silk didn't seem to stick to her. However she did it, Lexa soon got both Tachine and Sarysi down. Tachine timidly thanked her, but Sarysi was getting her confidence back. "So where's Zacyr? He should have heard me before! What did you do to Zacyr?"

From under the cowl Lexa wore, Kshtsi saw a smirk manifest. "I showed him this room, and told him not to attempt to free them. Once I told him that these are my meals, he fainted."

Kshtsi couldn't stop himself from flinching. "What? But Zacyr _never_ gets scared! Hell, he once had this huge bee-like creature and he almost turned it into a_ pet!_"

Lexa shrugged, or at least that's what Kshtsi guessed she was doing. It was so hard to tell when she was wearing that cowl. It was Tachine who abruptly found the answer. She abruptly broke out into hysterics, and as Lexa, Kshtsi, and Sarysi watched Tachine continued to laugh. It took her a while to stop, but when she did she grinned at Kshtsi. "_Zacyr's scared of spiders! _Lexa's a spider +Anima, he has to be _terrified_ of her! Oh, that's funny!"

In spite of himself, Kshtsi grinned. He had completely forgotten about that. Sarysi grinned as well, but Lexa got them all by surprise when she chuckled. She didn't comment on it, but soon addressed the group. "On the second floor, in the room to the left of mine, is a bedroom I set up for Zacyr. When he fainted, it seemed best to bring him up there to let him recuperate. You want to visit him, that's your choice. I shall be in the room to the left of this one, interrogating this snitch."

Without saying another word Lexa walked over to the cocooned person, pulled the cocoon off of the wall, and effortlessly carried it out of the room. For a little bit, the group simply stared at the doorway. Then Tachine cleared her throat and spoke. "So . . . what do we do? I . . . I don't think we should just leave without at least _speaking_ to Zacyr, but . . ."

Sarysi spoke up, sounding rather . . . unnerved. "How the _hell_ . . . this is insane. I . . . she didn't even need to go into her +Anima form to beat me. I . . . I think we should go back to Unibas, and see what we can learn about Lexa."

Kshtsi nodded, although Tachine seemed to be in disbelief. "What about Zacyr?"

Sarysi shook her head before looking at Tachine. "If she wanted him dead, he'd already _be_ dead. As for speaking to him Tachine, he's _unconscious_. He wouldn't be saying much to us. We'll come back later and see if he woke up yet."

Kshtsi nodded, and after Tachine reluctantly agreed the three of them left Lexa's place to head back to Unibas.

* * *

><p>Lexa's a fun character to make.<p>

Again, sorry about this one taking so long.

To be completely honest, this part's going to be a hard one for me to make. I've got a lot of points I wish to get into this part, but I don't want to draw _too_ much attention away from the main plot.

By the way, I've only seen a little bit of X-men. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite sure I know what you mean by the reference, but . . . well, it's a big factor for this part. I don't want to say that I _have_ to have that in this part, but . . . well, I hope I'm not going _too_ far with it.

SO, I'll get the next chapter done as soon as I can.


	53. Two Sides to Everything

*Sigh*

Alright, I concede. Once-a-day updating has gotten too difficult to do.

_Anyways_ . . .

As was said in the last episode, there's a battle underway. Ryca and his team are fighting the human side. So how's that fight going, considering that Oroco's team has wasted time by complaining to Unibas?

* * *

><p>"<em>Stand your ground, men!<em>"

Mina rolled her eyes at the general's order. Why did it always have to be 'men'? What about her, or the _other_ girls in his squad? She grumbled to herself as she grabbed her bow off of her back, so they were fighting more of these . . . what had he called them before? +Anima? Yeah, that was it.

She wasn't all that certain how she had gotten herself dragged into this. How exactly did one short visit with her older brother get her caught in this . . . _war? _No matter. The quickest way to get out of here would be for the human side to win.

Mina grumbled as she began to set up her bow, but she was caught off-guard when a man she knew well walked over to her. He wore a leather vest, shorts, and a large red cloak. Hidden by his waist was a sheath, which held a katana. Just like Mina, the man had green eyes, although his hair was brown, unlike Mina's black hair. "Cory?"

Mina's brother nodded with a slight smile before he addressed Mina. "Hold on a bit Mina. General's ordered you to pull off a kill on a high-ranking target. Follow me, I'll explain on the way."

Mina gave a slight grin as she nodded to Cory. If Cory had asked her that same question about a week ago, she would have asked him if he had gone off the deep end. But now . . . it was like everything was backwards. "Okay."

Wasting no time, the siblings traversed the battlefield. Mina had never seen a +Anima before, but . . . they scared her. They looked like some sort of human-animal hybrid, and they wouldn't fight with weapons. They fought with claws, teeth, and in some cases tails. How could a human turn into one of these . . . these _things_?

She watched as one of the +Anima - this one having strange, insect-like arms - advanced on a club-wielding human, trading blows with him with such speed that Mina almost didn't see the strikes. Fortunately, the human with the club was just as fast somehow, and parried each blow.

Tearing her eyes off of the terrifying sight, Mina found Cory entering a nearby building. Mina followed him, staying close. Cory was the one out of the two of them that could actually fight close-combat. If one of these, these _things_ attacked them then Cory would have to be the one to fight them off. "What . . . how are these things made?"

Cory sighed as he shook his head. "From my understanding, they are people that have gained the power of animals through an unknown mean. To be honest, they apparently aren't all that unknown. Our village just hasn't had all that much contact with them."

Mina shook her head in annoyance. "That's what we get for being from a village full of superstitious morons, isn't it? _God_, I've gotten so many stares for the things I used to believe. It turns out that you don't have to knock on every single doorway you pass through, and you don't have to mumble a prayer every single time someone trips."

Cory chuckled as he turned to look at Mina. "It sucks, I know. Why do you think I chose a new home?"

Mina couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, then you got caught up in this here. You explained it last night, remember?"

Cory chuckled as he nodded, but soon got a hold of himself. "Alright, now here's the deal. The general has fought this +Anima higher-up before. This one appears to have some strange hindrance to his ability to speak, and as such requires another +Anima to relay his orders. If we take out that +Anima in-between them, the +Anima should retreat for now."

Mina gave a slight grin as she nodded. "And that's where my skills with the bow and the arrows come into play?"

Cory nodded, a slight grin on his face. "Right. We get to an area few can see us, I watch your back as you set up the shot, and you take out the one that's relaying orders. Extra points if you can also hit the other one before they escape."

Mina grinned before she nodded. "Alright. It shouldn't take me too long to set up for the shot, I can prepare right here."

Cory nodded in agreement, so Mina quickly strung her bow and grabbed out an arrow. After nodding to Cory, the two of them raced up some stairs. Once they were on the second floor, Cory nodded over to a specific hallway. "Over there."

Following her brother's orders, Mina raced down the hallway. It wasn't long before they entered a room, and Cory nodded over to a window. "Should be able to get a clear shot from there. Aim for either their leader, or the one holding the staff."

Mina nodded to her brother's orders, and soon approached the window as her brother opened it. Mina gulped as she nocked the arrow and looked out the window. She quickly identified her target, and was completely shocked to see that it was . . . it was a _human?_

What was going on? Next to a person with bug antenna and insect eyes was a boy with pure-white hair and green eyes. The boy was holding a strange staff, almost like a huge porcupine quill or something. As Mina watched in complete shock, she noticed that there were quite a few drawings on the ground around the insect +Anima and the boy holding the quill-staff.

The insect boy pointed to one of the pictures, and the person next to him quickly made a motion with his staff. This was so strange . . . no, it didn't matter. Mina gulped as she pulled on the bowstring, expertly aiming her bow at the boy's head. The time seemed to pass so quickly, yet so slowly. Mina couldn't believe that she was about to kill someone, but . . . it wasn't like she had a choice.

She didn't see the insect +Anima look up at the window, she didn't see the determined look that appeared on the insect +Anima's face. Mina gulped, and after two heartbeats passed she let go of the string. The arrow flew out of the window, racing towards the head of the boy holding the staff.

Then the impossible happened. The insect +Anima turned into a blur, and appearing to defy all physics with his speed, he perfectly intercepted the arrow. Mina was astounded as the insect +Anima _caught_ the arrow, forcing it to stop. Then the +Anima grinned towards Mina, shaking the arrow towards her while sticking his tongue out. It was such a childish act, but . . . how . . .

Even _Cory_ was shocked as they watched the +Anima speak to the startled person. "How did he-"

Both of them immediately turned around when they heard a growl. Mina paled as she saw the culprit. It was a +Anima alright, a +Anima that was completely covered in fur. Besides for a few blonde highlights on the top of its head, the +Anima's color scheme was similar to that of a honey badger. However, it was the _huge_ claws connected to its arms that really drew her attention.

As the +Anima banged his claws together, a vicious glare on his face, Cory immediately put himself in-between the +Anima and Mina. "Stand back and stay out of this fight, Mina."

Mina immediately complied, backing up as much as she could. Cory nodded to her before turning to face the +Anima. The +Anima simply growled as he got into a fighting stance. "You almost killed my friend. I don't take too kindly to that."

Mina gulped, but Cory glared at the +Anima. "You won't get to her without going through me."

The +Anima gave a cruel grin as he honed his claws. Without saying another word, the +Anima charged at Cory. Mina watched as Cory stood there, clearly waiting for the moment this +Anima got to a certain distance. Once the +Anima was about to strike, Cory's hand flew to his sheath, and he grabbed his sword and slashed at the +Anima.

It was only by a tiny bit - not even an _inch_ - but the +Anima managed to lean back and avoid the strike. As Mina watched in horror, the +Anima retaliated with a slash towards Cory's face. Its claws cut into the side of Cory's face, and with a cry of pain Cory staggered back from the +Anima, clutching at the wound. The +Anima didn't miss a beat, grabbing Cory's sword right out of his hands. Time seemed to slow down for Mina as Cory's sword hit the ground. That was his only weapon!

The +Anima grinned cruelly as it brought back one of its claws. But to both the +Anima and Mina's shock, Cory reached into his pack and quickly grabbed out his hunting knife. Cory then swung it towards the +Anima's face, and while the +Anima was able to back away from the knife and avoid a fatal blow, Cory still did a great deal of damage, leaving a large cut on the +Anima's face and hitting the +Anima's left eye. The +Anima roared as he backed away, covering his face with his claws. "_**MY EYE!**_"

Cory immediately reached down for his katana, but to Mina's horror the +Anima recovered before Cory could get back to his feet. The +Anima savagely roared as he swung down one of his claws, embedding it into Cory's back.

Mina was horrified as Cory gasped once before falling to the ground. It couldn't be. Had Cory just . . . _died?_ The +Anima roared in pain as his clawed hand went back to his face, covering his bleeding face. As Mina heard footsteps approaching from outside the wound, the +Anima raced out of the room, leaving a trail of blood as he exited.

Once the threat was gone, Mina turned all of her attention to Cory's body. It . . . it couldn't be. She looked him over, and immediately went into a panic. _He wasn't __**breathing!**__ "__**CORY!**__"_

She looked him over, trying to find a way to get him to breathe again. Mina was so focused that she didn't notice when the footsteps reached the room, although when a voice told her to move away from Cory she obeyed. A guy raced over to the body, and soon gulped. "Struck from behind in the heart. He's already dead, there's no way to get him back."

Mina couldn't stop the tears from flowing. The person stepped away from the body, and Mina soon embraced the body as she cried.

It was a long time before she even remembered about the war, and through tremendous effort she managed to leave her thoughts and face the person that had entered the room. "S-sorry, I . . . I-I should be waiting u-until . . ."

The man gave a sympathetic smile towards Mina before nodding over to the window. "I'm part of your backup. The +Anima quickly retreated once we showed up. It's a perfectly acceptable time to mourn your brother, you can cry your heart out now."

Mina gulped, but soon burst out into tears again. She couldn't believe it, Cory was gone! The two of them had been through so much . . . she just couldn't believe he was gone. It wasn't fair! How _dare_ that damn +Anima kill Cory! What gave him the right to take Mina's brother from her? Eventually, Mina got up and wiped away the tears. Cory was gone, she couldn't change that. But the next time that Mina saw that damn +Anima, she was going to put an arrow right through its goddamn head.

* * *

><p>I hate stories that seem one-sided. For the longest time, I assumed that people's fear of +Anima was caused simply out of a sort of jealousy. But while making this chapter, I tried to imagine what it would be like from Mina's point of view. Once I saw the half-animal, half-human creature charging at me, well . . . I understood.<p>

BTW, Ryca is a Tiger Beetle +Anima. A Tiger Beetle +Anima is capable of going five miles per hour while running. This is similar to if a person was capable of running over 300 miles per hour. The tiger beetle runs so fast that it gets tunnel-vision. However, when standing still, a tiger beetle has excellent eye-sight. Ryca made full use of _both_ of these factors, using the excellent eyesight to find Mina aiming at Kesi then using a phenomenal burst of speed to intercept and catch the arrow. Now, is it probable to say that Ryca was going at over 300 mph? No, mainly since his legs are still a human's. But the idea is that his speed _is_ great enough that he can intercept an arrow aimed towards him.

Okay, biology lesson is over.

The next chapter shouldn't take me too long to make.


	54. This Means War

She couldn't believe it. Sarysi just couldn't believe it.

For the past six years, she had fought a +Anima a day. While naturally their skills varied from +Anima to +Anima, she had beaten them all. She had found no one a true match for her until the day she saw Dancing Shadow. Even then, she never got to finish the battle with Dancing Shadow, to find out which one of them was stronger.

Then again, Tersil was also an undecided battle. Both he and Sarysi used poison, and while Tersil was faster than Sarysi, she was still stronger. In the end, their battle had been stopped by an abrupt event that gave them a chance to escape. While Tersil had managed to succeed in that escape attempt, Sarysi had been caught again. She had been put against a large number of the +Anima fight ring workers, each one of them with considerable skill. However, while it was true that she had lost that fight, she had killed a great deal of them. Individually, she was much stronger than those +Anima fight ring workers.

If she was honest with herself, she may have gotten overconfident, assuming she was the strongest person on earth because she had lived so long in the +Anima fight ring. If this city was _the_ Wralb, then Sarysi could understand how everyone here could have been her equal. It would be a hard thing for her to accept, but it was quite possible.

But _Lexa_ . . . Sarysi felt so ashamed. It wasn't the fact that Lexa had beaten her that truly upset Sarysi. It was the fact that Lexa had beaten her so _easily._ Even when fighting to defend who she thought was Zacyr, even when Sarysi had given it her all, Lexa didn't even need to go into her +Anima form to beat her. Was Sarysi actually much weaker than she had thought? Had she simply been _lucky_ for all of those years?

"Alright, here we go."

Sarysi flinched as she returned to the present. Kshtsi and Tachine were eyeing her nervously, and as Sarysi looked around she realized they had reached the mansion. Unibas didn't look at all surprised to see them, although Sarysi's practiced eye noticed that Unibas was tensing up slightly. He must have been aware that the three of them were going to return, and it was clear that he was almost nervous to face them.

Sarysi watched as Unibas tapped the door to the mansion twice. Almost immediately, two people - one a jackrabbit +Anima, and the other person wasn't in their +Anima form - came out of the mansion and stood next to Unibas. The person not in their +Anima form had strong muscles, and one of his jobs was likely to be a bodyguard to Unibas. Sarysi couldn't help but grin as she realized Unibas looked almost unsure of himself. So he was hoping to avoid a fight, but at the very least was aware that there was the possibility of it going out of hand.

Well, Sarysi would bide her time. She already had a theory as to why Zacyr was put with Lexa, although she didn't wish to assume it was the answer. Either way, Kshtsi and Tachine were both clearly nervous about confronting Unibas. After about ten more seconds of both sides staring awkwardly at each other, Sarysi rolled her eyes. Soon grabbing both Kshtsi and Tachine by the hand, she calmly pulled them over to Unibas.

Once they were close, Sarysi let go and cleared her throat. "Apologies for this, Unibas. But we have a few . . . _minor_ concerns about Zacyr's roommate."

Sarysi allowed her voice to be almost teasing, just to help Unibas understand that she wasn't angry. To her, it made good sense why Unibas had not told them everything before they met Lexa. They would have misunderstood her intentions from the beginning should they have learned about her cannibalism. Unibas was trying to hide his relief that Sarysi wasn't enraged, but he wasn't good at it. After he took a few deep breaths, Unibas addressed the group. "I'm not all that surprised, if you wish for me to be honest."

Sarysi grinned as she crossed her arms. It didn't seem that either Kshtsi or Tachine were willing to speak, likely worried about getting on Unibas' nerves. However, Sarysi could tell that they could say anything so long as it wasn't said threateningly. Still, it wouldn't do for her to waste time. "I'll ask it bluntly, Unibas. Why'd you have Zacyr share a home with Lexa?"

Unibas sighed as he looked up slightly. After a few seconds, he nodded to himself. "I gave a lot of thought to the idea. How could one person be safe when in such dangerous territory? Eventually, I had to admit to myself that it wasn't Zacyr that was the problem. It was the +Anima already here that would attempt to kill him. How could I keep them from attacking him? As I pondered it, Lexa approached the mansion, and I noticed how the streets immediately emptied, with many fearful eyes looking out from the windows, all of them focused on Lexa."

Sarysi grinned as she interrupted. "So the basic idea is that you would counter their hatred for Zacyr with their fear of Lexa?"

Unibas nodded to Sarysi, seeming quite relieved. "That is the main reason. It also solves a few other problems. Giving Zacyr equal rights as I would a +Anima would enrage many of the +Anima here. But because they now know he is in Lexa's care, they are mistaking it as a sort of punishment for Zacyr. Since it has been revealed where he is now, I have gotten no more complaints from the +Anima. In fact, many of them have apologized, ironically stating that they now understood what the plan was when in fact they do not."

Sarysi almost sighed in relief. So that would calm down the +Anima, at least until they realized Zacyr wasn't going to end up as food. It was just as much a way to take the pressure off of Unibas as it was to keep Zacyr safe. Still . . . that was also beneficial for Zacyr. Because they were under the idea that Zacyr was going to die, it would keep them from attempting to attack Zacyr. Eventually, Sarysi looked the other way. "She . . . he's well defended."

Unibas' eyes widened for a moment, although it soon gave way to a kind smile. "May I ask how long you have been in the +Anima fight ring?"

Sarysi flinched. She hadn't expected Unibas to be able to read her own emotions. Still, just because he had a hard time obscuring his own emotions did not mean he couldn't read the emotions of others. Sarysi soon gave her answer to the question. "Six years."

She was almost _proud_ of the shock that appeared on not only Unibas' face, but on his bodyguard's face. The bodyguard looked downright horrified, and the jackrabbit +Anima soon was giving her a dumbstruck gaze, her mouth wide open. "_Six?_"

Sarysi nodded, and Unibas gulped. "It's a testament to your strength that you are still alive. However, Lexa has you beat."

Sarysi cocked her head, and Unibas sighed. Before Sarysi could ask how many years Lexa had been in the +Anima fight ring, Unibas gave her the answer. "Lexa was in the +Anima fight ring for eighteen years."

All color drained from Sarysi's face. Lexa had spent _eighteen years_ in a +Anima fight ring? No _wonder_ she was so strong! "_Eighteen __**years**_in that goddamned place? I . . . I can't believe it. She's been in there for so long, she must be so numbed to the thought of killing . . . it definitely explains her strange personality."

Unibas gave a slight grin as he nodded. "That's certainly one of the factors, although I do not know if it is the only one. I wish I could tell you more about her, but I do not know much about her past. She prefers to keep to herself, only leaving her building when she has something to report to me or when her . . . source of food starts running low."

Sarysi couldn't keep herself from shuddering. While she liked to think of herself as fearless . . . if Kshtsi hadn't kept his head about him and remembered Unibas' advice . . . Sarysi and Tachine would have ended up food. She had to admit, Lexa made her nervous. Still, she didn't appear to just eat anyone. So long as Zacyr didn't do anything stupid, he should be okay.

"God _damn_ it, Oroco."

Sarysi focused as Unibas looked at the jackrabbit +Anima, his expression immediately turning to one of annoyance. "What did he do _this_ time, Jackie?"

The jackrabbit +Anima crossed her arms, concentrating for a few seconds. Her ears soon twitched, and she sighed. "Didn't get there in time. The human's back-up came before they did, and Ryca's squad was forced to retreat. From what I'm hearing, that honey badger +Anima took a pretty bad hit."

Unibas frowned, and Sarysi flinched. Did she mean _Edreg_ had gotten injured? Hmm, Sarysi wasn't certain whether to be worried or to just feel content. Sarysi was going to drill the jackrabbit +Anima for more information, but she immediately turned when she heard the sound of wings flapping. Her thoughts immediately turned to Lerigna, and how that bitch had looked at Zacyr.

Fortunately, the +Anima was far enough away that Sarysi couldn't automatically strike at her. She was given more than enough time to identify the +Anima, and was surprised to see it _wasn_'_t_ Lerigna. Instead of Lerigna's black hair and yellow eyes, this older teenage girl boasted long white hair. Her eyes were changed by her +Anima form to match those of an eagle's, and those large eagle eyes quickly scanned the area.

Sarysi noticed the eagle +Anima's eyes quickly focusing in on Sarysi. She was, to say the least, impressed at how experienced the +Anima was at this. She felt like the +Anima could read her every action, and respond accordingly. She would make for a very interesting fight, being able to read her opponent's attacks and evade them, before getting close enough to the opponent that she could gut them with her massive eagle talons.

The +Anima soon landed gracefully to the right of the group. She clearly wanted to put someone between her and Sarysi, just as an extra precaution. However, the +Anima focused on Unibas. "Yev Reporting!"

Sarysi quickly looked at Unibas, and relaxed when she saw the look in Unibas' eyes. Sarysi could see the trust in Unibas' eyes. This Yev character wasn't a troublesome figure. Unibas soon addressed Yev with authority. "Jackie has gotten a few of the details. Oroco didn't get there in time?"

Yev nodded, blushing slightly. "Correct. We found Ryca's group in full retreat. The human side's backup showed up faster than anticipated. After Ryca narrowly protected Kesi from an attempted assassination, he gave the order for the group to retreat. I believe it was partially because of how shaken Kesi was, but it also was the correct action. The humans outnumbered them five to one."

Unibas nodded with a frown on his face. While it was clear the news irritated him, he didn't direct his anger towards Yev. "What's the body-count?"

Yev answered immediately. It quickly struck Sarysi that this must have been her job, and she must have visited the battleground afterwards to get a good deal of her information. "Ten +Anima were injured. Most of the injuries are nothing serious, although Dancing Shadow was struck in the shoulder with a club. Edreg has the most serious injury, and while it's not life-threatening, it looks pretty bad."

Sarysi frowned as Unibas asked for more information. Yev gave a quick response, clearly expecting the order. "According to Edreg, he attacked two humans, one of them we were able to identify as Cory. Cory was protecting the archer that attempted to assassinate Kesi, and Edreg blocked off their only exit. He and Cory traded blows, and Edreg managed to kill Cory with a strike to the heart. However, he sustained a serious wound to his face: a large gash that goes down the left side of his face. While the wound itself is shallow, he has lost all use of his left eye."

Unibas cursed, and Sarysi gulped. In spite of herself, she almost felt bad for Edreg. Yev didn't stop her briefing there, though. "He had to retreat, and wasn't able to get the other person. He seemed rather shaken when I spoke to him, but he also was able to keep his voice steady."

Unibas nodded, clearly in thought. "So Cory's now KIA . . . that's good, he was a large threat to us. Are there any other important facts?"

Sarysi focused when Yev gave a curt nod. "Kesi, under Edreg's insistence, has resigned from his place as Ryca's signaler."

Unibas, Jackie, and Unibas' bodyguard all flinched. It was Jackie who spoke, sounding quite startled at Yev's words. "I didn't expect Kesi to be one for battle, but _Edreg_ was the one that talked him out of it?"

Sarysi almost grinned. So Edreg had really learned to look at the situation? Yev nodded at Jackie's question. "That is correct. Kesi was extremely shaken at the assassination attempt, and Edreg told Kesi that he wouldn't tolerate Kesi being in such a dangerous position. After Edreg gave Kesi a suggestion to be in the fishing group, Kesi soon agreed. Yena has offered to take Kesi's place as the signaler, and he's already working with Ryca to develop a second means of communication with the fighters, based on Yena's large variety of calls."

Unibas soon sighed before nodding. "Alright, I don't see anything wrong with it. Let Oroco know that, since no one in Ryca's group died, his group is spared from a meeting with Lexa. Also let him know that I wish to speak to him."

Sarysi flinched when Yev abruptly gave a large grin towards Unibas. "I don't even need to read your expression to know that last part is a lie."

Unibas chuckled as he shook his head. "Alright, you got me. Let him know that I _have_ to speak to him. Fair enough?"

Sarysi watched as Yev chuckled before she nodded. She soon took off, and soon Sarysi remembered that they still had the entire day to themselves. "Alright then. What do you two want to do, Tachine and Kshtsi?"

She could only grin when the two of them flinched. A long silence passed with no input from either of Sarysi's current group members. Eventually Kshtsi sighed. "I think I should just get to fishing already."

Sarysi grinned when Unibas cut into the conversation. "That's no trouble at all. I'm certain Ele and Tulig would love having help a bit earlier than expected. I'll let Lerigna alert them that you and Kesi wish to fish. Lerigna will then let the two of you know where Ele and Tulig will meet you, so all four of you can fish at once."

Sarysi grinned when Kshtsi thanked Unibas, and watched as Kshtsi then walked into the city, probably to find Kesi. Once he was out of sight Sarysi heard Unibas sigh. "Alright. So what do you want to d . . . hmm? Where's Tachine?"

Sarysi looked to her right, and was completely shocked to find Tachine had vanished. After Unibas, Jackie, Unibas' bodyguard, and Sarysi looked around for a little bit, Sarysi soon grinned. "She's quick when it comes to slipping away from doing work. She probably wants to do anything _but_ work right now."

Sarysi was rather relieved when Unibas chuckled. "Alright, then."

Sarysi pondered what to do, and it occurred to her that Zacyr may have woken up by this time. Just before she was about to leave, the doors behind Unibas opened. Sarysi froze in place when she saw Lerigna walk into view, a large smile on her face. It was only when Sarysi noticed a large amount of flowers in Lerigna's hands/wings that Sarysi realized just how dire the situation was.

Lerigna ignored Sarysi, but told Unibas that she needed a little bit of time to do something. The instant she was about to fly off, Sarysi told her to wait. While she was clearly startled, Lerigna did. Sarysi glared at her as she started to advance, letting her +Anima form show. "Let's get one thing clear between us. Zacyr is _mine_. You hear that? He's _mine_, not _yours_."

Sarysi wasn't expecting the playful smile that appeared on Lerigna's face, and she _certainly _wasn't expecting it when Lerigna chuckled. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Sarysi charged, but Lerigna quickly leapt up into the air. Sarysi could only swear as Lerigna laughed, flying over to the city. Sarysi no longer had a doubt who the flowers were for. Lerigna was trying to woo Zacyr. Oh, Sarysi was going to _murder_ her!

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><p>Alright, now we're getting somewhere.<p>

The war for Zacyr has been initiated! Who will win?


	55. Beginning to Heal

Sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter!

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><p>It was with a heavy heart that Mina sat down on some steps. She still couldn't believe what had happened. How long had it been now, since Cory . . . passed away? About two hours? The sun was still up, and it looked to be a little after noon. A <em>vicious<em> storm was brewing in Mina's mind, a complete reversal of the cloudless sky that was above her. Her thoughts were so jumbled, so confused.

It was just yesterday that she had come to the city. She didn't have the slightest clue beforehand that there was a war going on in Wralb, she had simply come here to see if she could find Cory. If it hadn't been for the teamwork of both Cory and Ace, Mina would have died at the hands of two +Anima. They had saved her life, and explained the situation.

And now? Now both Ace and Cory were dead. While Ace was a stranger to Mina, she could tell that Cory had become friends with him simply by the pain that had appeared on Cory's face when they had been informed of Ace's death. Then, not more than a half-hour after Ace had died, Cory had followed suit.

Mina sighed as she looked around. Many people were walking in the streets, some conversing with others while other ones were working, hauling food or objects that were to be made into weapons. No matter how light the conversations were, the signs of war were all around them.

Mina then looked at the church behind her. She had been quite surprised when the leader had ordered Cory and Ace's bodies to be put in the church, in a small, makeshift tomb. She had been even more surprised when she had seen how ornately decorated their coffins had been. Both of them were quite clearly liked, and quite clearly missed.

Everything Mina looked at was reminding her of Cory. She just couldn't get him out of her mind. After finally seeing her older brother for the first time in _years_, he died just a _day_ after she had found him? While _yes_ she knew that the world could be cruel, and often had a sick and twisted sense of humor . . . did it really have to do _that?_ Mina had so much she had wanted to say to Cory, she had quite a few years worth of experiences she wanted to tell Cory about, and now she would never get that chance.

Maybe that was why it hurt her so much. Maybe that was what had cut her to the quick. She had decided to switch from being a fighter to a hunter, something she was good at. Although she had to admit, if she ever saw that one hair-covered +Anima again, she wouldn't think twice about embedding an arrow into his skull.

Mina had to stifle a groan when she heard a boy's voice. She didn't even need to ask who it was. The name 'Ameru' _immediately_ appeared in her mind. Mina had been warned by the other girls that Ameru was 'looking for a girl', and that he would likely target her. The girls had told Mina how Ameru never failed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and Ameru hadn't proved them wrong _yet. _This time was no exception. "Somebody call heaven, 'cause I think an angel went missing."

Mina felt her heart catch in her throat, but managed to croak a response. "I'm not in the mood, Ameru."

She didn't really know why she told him that. Ameru simply sat next to her, and tried to speak again. "I just-"

She didn't let Ameru finish a sentence. She quickly turned her head to glare at him, and found herself looking into a startled pair of blue eyes. The hair on the boy's head was short, blonde, and a mess so chaotic that all brushes in a one-hundred mile radius of Ameru shivered in fear at the thought of trying to sort out that mess. "Just walk away, Ameru. Right now is _not_ a good time to start hitting on me."

Even now, Ameru didn't appear to get the message. "Is this about Cory? Hey, death happens to everyone. There's no reason to get all moody about it, just take it like a man and get a move on in life. So, are you busy tonight?"

Mina was about to throttle Ameru when an angry girl's voice charged towards them. "_Ameru!_"

It was only when Ameru's look turned to one of alarm that Mina managed to grin. She knew quite well who that voice belonged too, and turned to find a girl with long brown hair and green eyes glaring viciously at Ameru. Ameru quickly spoke, sounding both alarmed and annoyed. "_What?_ I'm just speaking to her, is that a crime?"

The girl - Nidec - put her hands on her hips as she glared at Ameru. "You better believe it is, Ameru! The _last_ thing Mina needs is _you_ hitting on her! Now go and annoy some _other_ girl, and if you think I mean _me_ then I am going to slap you _so_ hard, your _parents_ will feel it!"

Ameru flinched, and to Mina's relief he quickly stood up and quickly began walking away. Before he went to turn down a side-street, he looked back at Nidec with pain in his eyes. "I'm an orphan, Nidec. Words _**hurt**_."

Mina shook her head in annoyance towards Ameru's comment. That last comment from him was quite ironic, considering he was trying to explain something to Nidec that he didn't understand himself. Once Ameru was out of sight, Mina sighed in relief. "Thanks Nidec."

Nidec gave a kind smile to Mina. While she was clearly older than Mina was, it wasn't by much. While Mina never asked Nidec what her age was, it looked like she was about fifteen or so. It wasn't long before Nidec sat down next to Mina, still with a kind and gentle smile on her face. "So, just filling you in on events. Demodo's disappeared, and we can only assume that he was captured."

Mina immediately looked up at Nidec. While the name 'Demodo' meant little to her, the fact that he was captured by those savage _things_ told Mina that he needed help. "Are we going to try rescuing him?"

She couldn't have been more surprised when Nidec shook her head. "Our spy has informed us that he was captured by Lexa. All we'd get back would be a skin-covered skeleton."

Mina gasped at the thought. "What? _How?_"

Nidec gave a sympathetic smile to Mina before sighing. "Lexa is the +Anima side's interrogator _and_ executioner. Now, we all know that +Anima are terrifying because they look like savages, right? _Lexa_, though . . . she gives terror a whole new meaning. She enjoys misery, and _cannibalizes_ all those that are sentenced to death. She eats like a spider, it's . . . it's really disgusting, I'll spare you the details."

Something in Mina's stance must have given away the fact that she couldn't believe something that was once human could do something so horrifying, because Nidec spoke quickly without any prompt from Mina. "According to our spy, the other +Anima all fear Lexa for this same reason. It's not a common thing for a +Anima to do. From what I've heard, Lexa's always been a bit . . . twisted. She was found about eighteen years ago, digging up corpses from graveyards and devouring them. She has never once been seen eating normal food, and in fact _prefers_ to eat people. I _hope_ Demodo is already dead, the things that Lexa could do to him would put him in a fate _far_ worse than death."

Mina was completely shocked. But the more she thought about it, the more she was reminded that Demodo wasn't the _only_ one that had recently died. She soon let her head hang low, and was pleasantly surprised when Nidec put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Mina gulped before she spoke to Nidec. "I just . . . it's been so long since I've seen him, and he dies about twenty four hours after I find him? I have so many questions that I wanted to ask him, and if I hadn't been there, Cory probably wouldn't have died."

Nidec surprised Mina when she shook her head. "No, Cory probably would have died of loneliness. He spoke of how he left his little sister back at home, and how he wanted so badly to go back and see her again. I've never seen him smile like he did when you entered the city, he was so happy to see his little sister."

Mina couldn't help her dumbstruck look. Sure, Cory and Mina were close as siblings, but Cory never really seemed so . . . well, she had a hard time trying to imagine him being upset over something. Mina soon got up with a sigh, and asked Nidec if she could ask Nidec more about Cory. Nidec got up too, and Mina couldn't help but smile when Nidec told Mina that they could speak at her place.

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><p>I think everyone knows someone like Ameru.<p>

Alright, I think I'm on track now. Not making any promises, but I think the next chapter shouldn't take much time to manifest.


	56. Interrorgation

I believe that in the last chapter, I mentioned someone by the name of Demodo, and how he was caught by the +Anima side. But there's something that Nidec didn't know.

Demodo is still alive. But will he be alive for much longer?

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><p>Demodo couldn't believe it. He had gotten <em>caught!<em> This was bad, this was _very_ bad! He couldn't see anything through the silk he was encased in. He had been cocooned by Lexa, and he knew enough about the +Anima to know that once one was cocooned by Lexa, it was too late for them. Why, _why_ had he agreed to meet Ryca in that alleyway? He should have _known_ that Ryca was setting a trap! And to add insult to injury, it was Ryca of all people! _**RYCA**_, the boy who had gotten severe brain damage when he was younger! How had Demodo been outsmarted by someone with _brain_ _damage?_ It just wasn't _fair!_

Demodo winced when the silk cocoon abruptly moved. He heard Lexa give a slight grunt and immediately afterwards, Demodo went side-ways. Of course, he could only tell because of the way gravity was affecting him. It was impossible for Demodo to be certain what was happening, but his best guess was that Lexa had just picked up the cocoon. As he felt Lexa carry him somewhere, he could only shiver in fear. Was his time on earth already up?

He soon realized something weird was going on when he felt a _huge_ shift in the gravity. He shivered as the footsteps stopped, replaced by strange tapping noises that came from under Demodo. Or was that in front of? He had lost track now on which way was up, was he still being carried sideways? And that tapping . . . oh, no. Had Lexa gone into her +Anima form? Was she simply going to kill Demodo without even interrogating him?

The bizarre shift of gravity happened yet again. Demodo no longer had any idea which way was up. Was Lexa climbing on a _wall?_ No, he still felt like he was _facing_ downwards . . . and the tapping was coming from . . . ugh, he didn't know anymore. Yet again Lexa moved the cocoon, and by this time Demodo simply gave up on figuring out his orientation.

"Rise and shine Demodo."

Demodo flinched as a hand reached into the silk, appearing right in front of Demodo's face. Amazingly, the hand didn't appear to be affected by the silk's stickiness. It simply slid through the silk, going in a complete circle around Demodo's head. Once the circle was completed, Demodo was shocked as a second hand slid in, and after both hands grasped the upper portion of the cocoon they pulled upwards, removing the part of the cocoon around Demodo's head and allowing him to look around, for the first time in what must have been a few hours.

Unfortunately for Demodo, it was extremely dark. He had to squint to look around, and even then it was simply too dark for him to see. Did this room not have windows or something? And why exactly was Demodo getting a headache? He gulped when he heard a cruel chuckle from somewhere in front of him. It must have been Lexa, and the idea that she could be _anywhere_ in the room right now really scared Demodo.

He waited for a bit, but Lexa said nothing. He had the disturbing feeling that Lexa was debating over whether to simply eat Demodo or to interrogate him. Demodo tried to shake off that feeling, but it refused to go away. Lexa certainly knew how to scare someone.

Eventually, Demodo's eyes began to adjust to the dark room. Almost the instant he could make out the walls of the room, he suddenly realized quite a few things that were strange. First, how the hell was he being held up? Lexa must have attached the cocoon to the floor, but . . . what was allowing the cocoon to stay standing? He was nowhere near a wall, he felt no support against the back of the cocoon . . . this made no sense!

There was something strange with the room itself. Demodo looked left, right, and in front of himself before looking behind himself, at least as much as the cocoon allowed him to. He could see the spot where the walls and the floor met, but . . . what he _couldn't_ see was a door. He turned again, and was surprised to find a large length of silk that was attached to the floor. The silk was straight up-and-down, and must have been connected to the ceiling.

Before he could ponder its use, he was startled when he heard a knocking sound from above him. He immediately looked up, and was completely startled to find the door, high on the ceiling. But . . . it was upside-down? What kind of carnival room did Lexa live in?

It was only when Lexa suddenly walked into view, not in her +Anima form and walking across the ceiling like it was no big deal, that Demodo suddenly connected the dots. Lexa wasn't the one on the ceiling! _Demodo was dangling upside-down from the ceiling!_

That explained everything. The silk must have been a way for Lexa to get back up to the ceiling, the door was exactly where it should have been, and the cocoon was actually dangling from the ceiling, so it needed no support other than being connected to the ceiling!

Demodo could only watch in shock and alarm as Lexa opened the door, and simply stood there for a bit. "Ryca?"

_Ryca?_ Demodo felt his blood begin to boil. Ryca was the one that _got_ him into this position! What did that _asshole_ want now? Was he here to gloat?

"Hi, Lexa. Sorry about intruding on your interrogation."

Demodo almost immediately realized something strange was going on. Ryca was making _sense?_ Let's see here . . . he only did that when he wasn't overcome with emotion, so did that mean . . . was Ryca not afraid of Lexa? Demodo couldn't have been more surprised when Lexa shrugged, or at least that's what he guessed she was doing. "No trouble at all, Ryca. I assume you want to know where Zacyr is?"

Demodo could only glare furiously as he heard Ryca give a 'yeah', and Lexa pointed out of the room. "Just go up the stairs, his room is the farthest room on the left. He fainted when I showed him my storage room, so he may not be awake yet."

When Demodo heard Ryca give a 'thanks', he couldn't have been more surprised. He didn't even sound _nervous!_ But Ryca was . . . well, an emotional kid. How the _hell_ was he keeping calm when he was around Lexa?

Lexa gently closed the door, and Demodo could only shiver as Lexa calmly walked towards the one long length of silk that ran all the way up to the ceiling. Lexa quickly climbed up the silk, which strangely didn't seem to stick to even her cowl. In no time at all, Demodo found himself facing the hood of Lexa's cowl, which was _far_ too close for comfort. It was too dark to see what the hood hid, the only thing Demodo could see were two blood-red eyes calmly looking at him.

It scared Demodo. Those eyes quite clearly didn't see him as a human, they saw him as nothing more than food. Lexa's eyes shifted into a dangerous-looking glare before she addressed Demodo. "Demodo, I am _very_ displeased."

Demodo didn't doubt her. The look in her eyes . . . it was similar to the look of a wolf that was willing to strike Demodo at any time. He had a horrible suspicion that he knew why she was displeased with him, too.

As Demodo had struggled to escape from the alleyway mere hours ago, Lexa had calmly demanded Demodo to state how many human spies were on the human side. Demodo had quickly told her that he was the only one, right before Lexa had knocked him unconscious. When he had woken back up, Lexa had told him that, using the information he had given her, Lexa had planned on sending someone to the human side _after_ telling all the +Anima that Demodo insisted he was the only spy. But how was Demodo to know that Lexa was going to use that one, desperate answer to plan an attack on the human side?

"I gave all the +Anima information on where the spy was going to meet with a +Anima spy that had gained important information on the actions of the human side. I instead sent Ryca's group to the spot with Oroco's squad as backup. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that Ryca's group had found a large number of humans at that spot, _instead_ of the +Anima spy I had 'told' to be there. Ryca asked how they could have known about the meeting. Do you know what they told him, Demodo? They said, quite plainly, 'Demodo wasn't our _only_ spy.' I'll be blunt, Demodo. _You __**lied**_."

Demodo could only shiver in fear as Lexa's glare turned _murderous_. "Now why would you do that? It staggers the mind. You may have been a spy, you may have been naïve, but you were _well_ aware that I am the true terror of the +Anima side. Yet even with that information, you _lied_ to me? There is only one possible explanation. You knew that even _if_ you told the truth, I would kill you. So, you thought to yourself, what could I do to you that was _worse_?"

Demodo paled as Lexa grabbed the cocoon, forcing it to swing closer to her face until Demodo's face was mere _inches_ from hers. He could almost see the demonic smile that was hidden within that hood, and the eyes that he _could_ see practically glowed with malevolent and malicious intention. "That's a _big_ mistake. I know more about you than you think, Demodo. You follow the gerke religion. Do you-"

"_**Huh?**_"

H-how did Lexa know _that?_ How did she know Demodo's religion, he hadn't told _anyone!_ But Lexa reached into her hood, and Demodo immediately flinched when he saw a slight glint that must have been caused by jewelry. He immediately looked down at his own neck, horrified to realize it was bare. _She had taken his necklace!_ And right on there was the symbol of the gerke religion!

Lexa soon concealed the necklace again, and Demodo felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Lexa began chanting in a cruel, ominous voice. "'Wise one, I acknowledge my belief that you are the only god. I believe in fetilar, the land of the dead, and I understand that the soul is connected to the body. I understand that my body must be buried within the earth, or else _the connection between the soul and the body will never be severed, and all I shall feel for eternity will be my own body rotting away._' I believe those that follow the gerke religion makes it a tradition to state that prayer once every day, less the Wise One 'forgets' that the human should be granted entrance into fetilar. But the soul may not enter fetilar should it be connected to their body, isn't that right?"

Demodo couldn't stop shivering now. This was _bad_. Lexa knew his religion! And he had just angered her. Lexa's eyes seemed to sparkle with a horrific glee as she continued to speak. "What is more, the soul will feel everything that happens to their body, though they shall not see it. Just _imagine_ what I can do with that knowledge, Demodo. Just _imagine_, I could force you to experience my consumption of your body, I could rip the body apart limb from limb, and I could put every limb into a fire, burn it to ash, then confine that within a pot for all of eternity. I could remove your skull from your skin, and keep it as a family heirloom, pass it down to my son, then he passes it down to his children . . . the cycle could repeat itself until nothing remains of your body, and it finally ceases to exist. I wonder, does that mean your soul shall finally be extinguished, like the flame that no longer has the candle to support it? You would become eternally damned, you will be doomed to search the world as nothing more than a ghost, forced to live among those that can't see you, nor interact with you, as you desperately try to convince someone to bury your skull."

Demodo couldn't have turned any paler. No. _No!_ "DON'T! PLEASE, I'LL DO _**ANYTHING!**_ _Just bury my body, I'll do __**anything!**_"

He didn't see the slight smirk that appeared on Lexa's face. What he _did_ see was Lexa reach into her cowl, and he couldn't have been more horrified when Lexa pulled out a human skull from her robes. Demodo didn't know whose skull it was, but it certainly proved that Lexa was _more_ than willing to go through with her threat. Lexa then lightly tapped the cocoon, and it turned slightly. Lexa pointed to the ground, and Demodo immediately looked. He paled even more when he saw a large collection of pots in a corner. When he turned back around to face Lexa, he was surprised to find she must have moved.

It was only when Demodo again turned to see the pots that he realized _just_ how dire the situation was. Lexa was putting the skull into one of the pots! She simply gave a cruel chuckle as she put a lid on the pot, and for just a moment Demodo could have _sworn_ he heard several voices following Lexa, begging her to stop torturing their souls.

And his soul was next.

Demodo was so scared. He didn't want to spend eternity in unbearable agony, pleading with Lexa to let his soul enter fetilar!

"It's such a shame, isn't it, Demodo?"

Demodo immediately looked at Lexa, who was apparently looking up at him. "If you had simply told us about the other spies, I would have _personally_ have buried your body. So you would do anything to escape this fate? Well, why should I spare you this agony? Why should I spare you, a _spy_ and a _liar_? What use could you _possibly_ have that may convince me to do otherwise, what knowledge could a spy _possibly_ hold that would prove beneficial for our side?"

Demodo immediately realized what was going on. Lexa wanted him to betray the human side. She was demanding Demodo to rat out any other spies that the human side had. And while Demodo had his pride, and truly _wanted_ to be loyal to the human side . . . it just wasn't going to be worth the price. "There were two spies in total! It was only me and one other person!"

He had struck gold. Lexa's eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement as she spoke up. "Two spies in total, one being you? Who is the other spy? What is their name?"

It was only when Demodo opened his mouth, desperate to say something to say himself, that he realized something awful. He had never actually _seen_ the other spy. He didn't know who the other spy was, nor what they looked like. But why didn't he remember?

Uh oh. Hadn't their leader _specifically_ made sure the spies never met? Yeah, that was it. It must have been a way to keep one spy from ratting out the other! Oh no, this was bad! "I-I don't know! Our leader never let me know who the other spy actually was!"

He gulped when Lexa responded angrily. "I don't think you fully understand what I'm willing to do to you, Demodo. You must know _something_ about this other spy. What's their gender? I want to know _everything_ you know about this person, and if you give me enough solid information then I will _personally_ bury your body, and I will even give you a painless death. _**BUT**_, I need as much information as you can give. What do you think when you hear about the other spy, and _why_ do you think that?"

Demodo had to think fast. He never had worked well under such a high amount of stress, and this was certainly no exception. His mind was in an extreme panic, there was too much at stake! He had to know _something_ more! But as Lexa slowly climbed the silk, Demodo just couldn't find his answer. Come on, _come on!_

"Time's up."

Demodo gulped as he realized Lexa was now right in front of him. He could only shiver in fear as the bottom of the cowl parted, Lexa's legs splitting and transforming. Soon, Demodo could only whimper as Lexa turned upside-down, using her +Anima side to cling to the ceiling with no trouble. She walked closer, two large fangs now jutting out from the cowl's hood as Lexa came closer and closer to Demodo.

When she was so close that Demodo could feel her breathing on him, he could only whimper in fear and despair. His fate was already sealed, she was going to kill him! Then Lexa bit Demodo's shoulder, and Demodo immediately felt his life flash before his eyes.

He saw how he had been found by the human side, how Ace and Cory had helped him get away from a strange lizard +Anima. He remembered how frightened he felt, he remembered how it had taken him a lot of nerve to finally choose to be a human spy. And he remembered . . . he remembered . . . _there!_

"_**IT'S A SHE!**_"

He had struck gold. Lexa's fangs immediately separated from Demodo's skin, and he saw Lexa's red eyes look into his own eyes. Demodo was entirely focused on what the human leader had said, how he had responded to Demodo's question about the two spies looking out for each other. And he quickly told Lexa how the human leader had laughed, and simply told Demodo that the other spy was _not_ one he wanted to have watching his back. "He specifically stated that she's a bitch. That's all he would tell me about her!"

Time slowed to a stop when Lexa turned around, no longer facing Demodo. He waited, but she said nothing. Second after second slowly crawled by, the entire world seemed to be waiting for Lexa's answer.

Still, she stayed silent. The only sound was Demodo's heartbeat, which was producing a beat so fast that he wasn't certain when one heartbeat was ending and when another began. It was a while before his fear of his fate won out over his fear of speaking to Lexa. "Is it-"

It was actually kind of strange. After so long waiting for her to move, Demodo couldn't follow her next movements. Perhaps it was better that way. He never saw it coming. He couldn't follow the speed at which Lexa turned around, and even if he _hadn't_ been completely restrained, he would never have been able to dodge her arm. If he had been able to, maybe he would have realized this was a well-practiced maneuver. Maybe he would have realized that, by Lexa turning at such high speeds and slamming her elbow into Demodo's neck, the strike held more than enough power to break his neck. But for better or worse, Demodo passed away so fast that he had no time to register the event.

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><p>Did you see what I did with the chapter name? I'm so CLEVER! XD<p>

By the way, fanfiction recently created the title feature. Now, I would LOVE to make a title for this story. Really, I would. But . . . I'm HORRIBLE at drawing. Don't get me wrong, I've TRIED to make a manga-styled cover. But . . . well, it wasn't good. Then my dog peed on my sketchpad. I'll see what I can do about a cover, but even if I managed to get one made I doubt it would be anything fancy.

ANYWAYS, the next chapter hopefully won't be too long.

Update: about an hour after posting this chapter

Alright, title has been made! So of course, it's too small for people to read the words -_-

Of course though, titles are a new part of the site. Bound to be a few issues at first. As for me, I hope they'll let the titles be a little larger.


	57. Out of Character

FlyShy100, thank you. That means a lot to me, it really does.

Next chapter, up and running! I think it's time to see what happened between Lerigna and Sarysi.

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><p>Lerigna chuckled as she effortlessly soared through the sky. She knew quite well that she was much faster than Sarysi was, and that she already had Zacyr won. Hell, the one thing that confused her was why someone like Zacyr would have fallen in love with such a <em>dangerous<em> person as Sarysi. She could clearly kill without any regret, and Zacyr probably was abused by her continuously. The best reasoning that Lerigna could come up with was that Zacyr was being forced by Sarysi through threats of unthinkable cruelty if he didn't act as if he loved her.

Now _Lerigna_ though, she wouldn't harm him at all. She'd be just what Zacyr wanted! It would be just like a fairytale, the noble prince and the princess falling in love and living happily ever after!

Lerigna grinned as a cruel idea entered her mind. Nodding to herself, she changed course and quickly scanned the road. After a good deal of time of looking, she saw Sarysi racing through the streets, and she flew a bit in front of her. Easily keeping up with Sarysi, Lerigna lazily did a few aerial tricks as she taunted Sarysi. "What's the matter? Isn't this a race? Or have you already given up? Just forget it, I can fly over the city in just over a minute! You-"

Unfortunately for Lerigna, she wasn't watching where she was flying. As she attempted a corkscrew flip, she was completely startled when she crashed into a building's upper window. After tumbling a slight distance, Lerigna came to a stop. She quickly checked herself over for damage, and was very relieved when she realized that on the whole, she was fine.

She soon shook her head, and looked around. Besides for the broken glass now covering the floor, the room was pretty much undamaged. Hopefully the resident wouldn't be too . . . wait a minute, this was Yev's room! And there Yev was, sitting on the bed in the corner of the room with a slight grin on her face! "What _is_ it with you and that window?"

Lerigna blushed, to which Yev burst out laughing. While Lerigna was a good flier, she also was a bit . . . absent-minded, and had difficulty remembering to watch where she was going at times. Strangely enough, the few times that she had crashed into something, it was normally Yev's building. How many times had it been now . . . four times? Yeah, that was right. She had crashed into this window four times now.

Lerigna gave Yev a meek smile when Yev quickly went over and helped Lerigna to her feet. As Lerigna insisted she was fine, Yev simply grinned and looked Lerigna over. "Hmm . . . yeah, on the whole. So how have you been? I've been so busy with Oroco's group. I haven't been able to talk to you in _weeks!_"

Lerigna gave a slight nod at that. Ever since Yev had chosen to be in Oroco's fighting group, he had kept her busy almost all of the time. "I've been alright. So what about you?"

Yev simply smiled at Lerigna for a few seconds. "It's been interesting. Oroco's kind of funny when he gets stubborn, though he has a knack of pulling off a good plan when it's needed. Depri jokes that when it comes to right and wrong, Oroco either _is_ right or he _thinks_ he's right."

Lerigna smiled again, although the mention of Depri's name almost got her to glare. That was the only thing Yev really did that Lerigna in no way approved of. Depri wasn't the person to call other people stubborn. She was the very _definition_ of stubborn! What was more, she was both figuratively and _literally_ incapable of hearing someone else's advice. While _yes_ part of that was because Depri was deaf, and had been since birth, what really irked Lerigna was how Depri always believed she was right. If anything, she was _worse_ than Oroco was!

"Oh, come on now Lerigna. Don't get on my case for being friends with Depri."

Lerigna couldn't help it. She had to try to convince Yev that there was _seriously_ something wrong with Depri's judgment. "Look, I know you're friends with Depri, but I honestly think it's a _big_ mistake. Depri is a complete _asshole_ to everyone around her, and she-"

Lerigna could only grunt in frustration when Yev interrupted, looking slightly irritated. "So _anyways_, are those flowers for me?"

Hmm? What flowers? Lerigna followed Yev's eyesight, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the flowers she had been intending to give to Zacyr. Oh _crap!_ She had completely forgotten! She hastily made up an excuse for why she had to leave, and ignored Yev's laughter as she took off through the broken window.

What had she been _thinking?_ Sarysi could have _easily_ have reached Lexa's place by now! Why did Lerigna have to be so simple-goddamn-minded? How had she forgotten about something so _important?_

Lerigna sped through the air, making a bee's line towards Lexa's place. Come on, she _had_ to get there first! She couldn't let Sarysi get even a _second_ alone with Zacyr, who knew what she would do to him? This was a trial of _love_, Lerigna couldn't lose this one!

It seemed to take forever before she could see Lexa's building off in the distance. Inwardly, Lerigna shuddered at the thought of entering the building. If it wasn't for Zacyr, Lerigna would never enter the building. But the way it was, she dove towards the main doorway to enter the building. She was horrified to find the door ajar, Sarysi had already gotten here!

As Lerigna raced into the building, her heart caught in her throat. She hadn't been that far behind Sarysi, considering that Sarysi was racing up the stairs at the moment. Lerigna wasted no time, taking flight and making for the second floor. As Lerigna got about half-way to the second floor, she suddenly realized something. _She didn't know which room was Zacyr's!_

She could only flinch as Sarysi laughed at her. Sarysi had reached the top of the stairs, and was grinning victoriously at Lerigna. "Didn't really think it through, did you? I know which one is Zacyr's, you've already lost!"

Lerigna watched as Sarysi sprinted down the hallway, and soon reached the second floor herself. She watched Sarysi carefully, and managed to follow her line of sight to a specific room. Lerigna immediately changed her course, flying right above a startled Sarysi as she made for the door.

Just when Lerigna thought she had won, she made a mistake and flew too close to the wall. Her wing struck it, and the disruption of her balance caused her to hit the floor of the hallway hard. She soon tumbled to a stop, battered and bruised as she quickly stood up. She cringed as her side aggravated her, and clutched at it as she leaned against a nearby door. _Damn_ that had hurt!

Her only clue that Sarysi had caught up to her was a cruel chuckle that came from behind her. Lerigna froze in place as she heard Sarysi huff in exertion. The next thing Lerigna knew, a large scorpion's claw slammed into her side, sending her _through_ the door. Yet again Lerigna tumbled to a stop, although she soon got back up on bruised and trembling legs. She was pretty certain that she was going to have lasting bruises after this.

She looked up when she heard Sarysi chuckle. As Sarysi walked into the room, a demonic grin on her face, Lerigna nodded to herself. So _that_ was how it was going to be. Lerigna glared at Sarysi, raking one of her talons against the floor. Sarysi wasn't the _only_ one between them that could maim an opponent! Lerigna watched as Sarysi banged her claws together. For a bit, the two of them simply stood there, Sarysi with a cruel smirk and Lerigna giving Sarysi a _murderous_ glare. Then they both made to move.

And they both immediately froze when they heard a tired sigh. They both turned, and Lerigna's heart fluttered when she realized Sarysi had knocked her into Zacyr's room. Zacyr was sitting on a nice-looking bed, and Lerigna was surprised when she realized Zacyr was deep in thought. He simply sat there, his eyes focused on a spot next to his feet as he continued to think. His arms were resting on his legs, and he gave no inclination that he knew Sarysi and Lerigna were nearby.

Lerigna and Sarysi looked at each other, and with an unspoken agreement the two of them walked over to Zacyr. Sarysi lightly shook Zacyr's shoulder, and Lerigna was surprised when Zacyr flinched. Had he honestly not noticed the two of them?

Lerigna was further convinced something was wrong when Zacyr actually _admitted_ to them that he hadn't seen them. His voice sounded quite strained, and he almost looked ready to cry. Lerigna quickly asked what was wrong, and was surprised when Zacyr looked away from them. "N-nothing, I just . . . I have a lot to think about."

Lerigna looked up at Sarysi, and was surprised to see a sincere look of concern etched upon Sarysi's face. Sarysi further surprised Lerigna when she told Zacyr that she'd come back later, and Zacyr gave a polite apology. What _didn't_ surprise Lerigna was when Sarysi grabbed Lerigna by the arm, and dragged her out of the room with her.

Once the two of them were out of the room, Lerigna spoke quietly to Sarysi. "Is he . . . is he _normally_ like this?"

Sarysi immediately shook her head, and soon leaned against the wall with a frown on her face. "I've seen him go through a _lot_, but I've never seen him acting so . . . disconnected to reality. Something's got him vexed, something _big._ I . . . I want to say that it's just us being here, but . . ."

Lerigna nodded. "It's just not his nature to get so worked up. I've only seen him _once_ before, and I could tell that. He didn't seem all that stressed even when he had all the +Anima _shouting_ at him, and he didn't even bat an eyelash when that raccoon +Anima tried to attack him."

As Lerigna watched, Sarysi nodded before eyeing Lerigna. "Well, the least I can do for him is not add more stress at this time. We'll fight over him later, understood?"

Lerigna flinched, but she didn't have time to give a response. At that moment, almost from right underneath them, they heard a door open. And Lerigna heard the last voice she expected to hear. "Look Lexa, I . . . I really _do_ understand, but . . . i-it just doesn't feel right."

Lerigna and Sarysi immediately looked over the railing, and Lerigna felt her jaw drop open when she saw who was talking to Lexa. _**RYCA?**_ He was looking towards a room somewhere underneath Lerigna and Sarysi's position, and soon Lerigna shuddered as she saw the tall, cowl-wearing figure walking into view.

There was no doubt who it was. Lexa was carrying a yellow-eyed, green-haired boy's corpse over her shoulder. It looked like the cause of death was a broken neck, but what really surprised Lerigna was . . . the boy wasn't wrapped in silk. Wait . . . oh, _god_. Was Lexa carrying this corpse around just for a _snack?_ But just as shocked as Lerigna was at Lexa's . . . snack . . . why the hell was Ryca there? He didn't even look all that revolted by the corpse Lerigna was carrying around.

Lexa soon spoke, and Lerigna shivered at her cruel voice. "Ryca, it's too dangerous."

Lerigna was shocked when Ryca turned to face Lexa, a very upset look on his face. She was partially surprised to see Ryca holding a simple board, but when Ryca began scribbling on it with his black chalk it suddenly made sense to Lexa. He was using it as a way to communicate with Lexa, and soon he spoke. "But still, aren't you being a bit . . . hasty? M-maybe it's just a misunderstanding? We don't have any proof that-"

When Lexa spoke up, her voice sounding slightly irritated, Lerigna had to stop herself from telling Ryca to run. "Unibas, you, and I all knew that there was a _chance _of this happening from the beginning, and I'm telling you that we _have_ to make him disappear _now_."

Ryca gulped, but to Lerigna's shock Ryca was able to keep his voice steady. "The +Anima have stopped protesting, Lexa! Zacyr's perfectly safe here, none of the other +Anima would _dare_ oppose your decision!"

Lexa's reply came quick, and was tinged with quite a bit of anger. "You know full well that I'm not worried about that, Ryca! Do you remember the theory you told me about? I tested it, and I now have _proof_ that it's true!"

Ryca flinched, but Lexa continued to speak. "He grew so afraid, he tried to _bolt!_ It took him _biting himself_ to calm back down! He's too afraid here, Ryca. If I scare him too much, he loses control. For him to go out on the streets in that state would be _suicide_! The other +Anima would tear him apart before he could calm himself down."

Ryca looked at Lexa, but yet again Lexa asserted her own opinion. "Don't tell me to become friends with him, Ryca. You and I _both_ know why he has to fear me. What's more, you told me that you found proof that it's still there."

Lexa tried to continue, but both Lerigna and Sarysi silently gasped when Ryca stomped a foot on the ground. "_But why so __**soon?**__ It's not fair! He's my __**friend**__, and I haven't seen him in over a __**year!**_I know he's-"

When Lexa put a sleeve-covered hand over Ryca's mouth, both Lerigna and Sarysi backed away from the railing. Something told Lerigna that they weren't supposed to be hearing this conversation, and she didn't want to see what Lexa could do to them when she got mad. But then something happened, something that neither Lerigna nor Sarysi were expecting.

Lexa let the corpse fall off of her shoulder, and she lunged towards Ryca. She then held onto him, wrapping her sleeve-covered arms around him and restraining him tightly. Ryca made no move to counter it, and to Lerigna's surprise she saw a few tears coming from Ryca's eyes. It was only then that Lerigna realized what was happening, but . . . no, it couldn't be. Did Lexa . . . was she giving Ryca a _hug?_

When Lexa spoke next, it was with a tender voice that Lerigna would never have expected her to have. "I understand, Ryca. You're trying to put this off so you can chat with your best friend again, after you spent a _year_ searching for him. But if we don't act quickly, the past is going to repeat itself again. Do you want that to happen? Ryca, _it will be okay._"

Lerigna could only watch in complete shock. Was Lexa . . . was she _comforting_ Ryca? A few minutes passed before Lexa spoke again, asking Ryca if he understood. Ryca soon nodded, and Lexa soon ended the embrace. "Alright Ryca. I want to speak to you and Unibas later today, about a few different things. Can you tell Unibas to expect me and you there at sunset?"

Lerigna watched as Ryca nodded, and Lexa soon picked back up the corpse. "Meanwhile, I'm going to bury Demodo here. He gave me all the information he knew, and I promised to bury his body if he did so. I do not break promises."

Ryca seemed extremely surprised, and to Lerigna's shock Ryca spoke. "Really? But he was a pretty good spy, I didn't think he'd break so quickly."

Lexa chuckled, and as Lerigna and Sarysi watched both Lexa and Ryca walk towards the front door Lexa spoke. "It's all a matter of knowing their fears, and playing on those fears. Everyone has a limit before their own fate comes before their loyalty."

That was the last Lerigna heard of their conversation. Lexa and Ryca next exited the building, both going their separate ways. For a while, Sarysi and Lerigna stayed where they were. Sarysi spoke to Lerigna after a long silence. "What's going on? Unibas seemed afraid of Lexa, and for good reason, when I asked about her. I don't like this, something strange is going on. Exactly what did she mean when she said they had to make Zacyr disappear?"

Lerigna could only shrug in confusion. "I . . . I don't know. What's more, why-"

"What kind of a fool do you two take me for?"

Both Sarysi and Lerigna froze. That sounded like . . . the two of them turned around immediately, and paled when they saw the figure wearing the black cowl. But . . . _how_? She had just _left!_

And right on her shoulder, that was the corpse! Lerigna gulped as Lexa spoke to them, her voice laced with poison. "You two are getting on my nerves, and I will not tolerate your antiques any longer."

Lerigna gulped, shivering in fright. Even Sarysi looked afraid, although she stood in a defensive fighting pose. Lexa simply chuckled before raising a long, cowl-hidden arm in the direction of Zacyr's room. "Sarysi, I understand that you clearly have a deep-seated hatred for any doors that stand in your way. But someone needs to replace those doors you break, and because no one else _dares_ to come in here, that 'someone' is _me_. You break another door Sarysi, and I will break your neck."

The hood of Lexa's cowl then shifted, and Lerigna shivered in fear as Lexa's red eyes glared at her. "Someone needs to replace the floor too. Those talons leave holes in the wood. I'm warning you, Lerigna. If I see you running around in here with those talons again, it _will_ be the last time anyone hears from you. Do I make myself _clear_?"

Both Lerigna and Sarysi nodded vigorously, and they both left their +Anima forms _immediately. _Lexa chuckled before walking past the two of them, and soon the girls watched in fear as Lexa calmly walked back to the front door, exited the building, and slammed the door shut.

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><p>Lerigna's a fun character to make.<p>

For those confused why they were racing over to Lexa's place, and what they were going to actually DO if one of them won the race, well . . . Lerigna's not the type of person to really think things through. Sarysi can plan better, but in some cases she's as bad as Lerigna.

And if you think Lerigna's absentminded, you're right: she even left the flowers at Yev's place without noticing. :)


	58. The Hunted Hunter

Next chapter! Still working on introducing new characters, as well as keeping references to the ones already introduced.

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><p>Mina let out a large sigh as she left Nidec's place. While she certainly felt better . . . no, no 'while'. She simply felt better. That was the way to explain it. She would still probably visit Cory's grave every single day, she still wanted to kill that hair-covered +Anima, but she was calmer now. The storm in her mind was dying down.<p>

Still . . . she wasn't going to go back to fighting the +Anima. She had already stated that she wanted to hunt. But not today, she still wanted some time to figure out everything.

"Wow, you look _really_ hot in those clothes! You best take them off before you overheat!"

Mina froze in place before letting out a large groan. _Ameru_. "Is that _really_ the best you can do?"

She turned towards where she heard the voice from, and could only glare towards Ameru. As always, Ameru didn't seem to notice Mina's anger. "So, you doing anything today?"

Mina shook her head 'no' and almost immediately hit herself in the head when she realized what she had just done. Ameru's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he spoke immediately. "That's awesome! I don't have anything to do today either, we have so much in common! It's like we are destined to spend the rest of this fateful day together."

_**Fuck.**_ Mina could only berate her earlier movement, why had she _done_ that? She should have made something up! Okay, uh . . . "No, now stop talking to me."

She knew it wasn't going to work, but she needed time to think of a way out of this. She had been warned by the other girls that Ameru was persistent, and she had already made a _huge_ mistake by telling him that her day was free. Ameru only proved her right. "Oh, come on. I know you're still trying to cope with Cory's death, but wouldn't it be better to have someone else with you? You know, someone who is fearless in the face of danger, and-"

Mina only had to curl her hand into a fist and raise it as if to hit Ameru. Ameru immediately shielded his face. "_HEY DON'T HIT ME! Don'thitmedon'thitme!_"

With a slight chuckle Mina lowered her hand. "'Fearless', huh?"

She couldn't have been more surprised when Ameru immediately puffed out his chest. Did he even _realize_ he had already disproved his point? "I laugh in the face of death."

Mina couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. Inside though, her mind was working overtime. If she had to listen to Ameru for the entire day, she'd go _crazy! _There _had_ to be a way to get away from him, but _how?_

Hmm . . . after a bit of thinking, during which Ameru refused to shut up, Mina finally found her answer. "I'm going hunting."

Without waiting for Ameru's reaction, Mina turned around and began walking towards the city edge. When Ameru offered to come with, Mina simply said 'no', and picked up her pace. In no time at all Mina reached the forest. She quickly entered it, almost _desperate _to get away from Ameru. After getting her bow ready, she began walking through the forest, working hard to avoid startling any animals.

It took a bit of time, but eventually she was in the perfect position. Well hidden behind a tree and some good-sized bushes, she could see into a good-sized clearing. She was prepared to wait for hours, but she soon was amazed as a good-sized buck entered the clearing, stopping almost right in the middle of Mina's sight to graze. A slight smile came to Mina's face as she silently nocked an arrow, taking care not to startle the deer. She then took careful aim, still hardly able to believe her luck.

"_Mina! Are you there? Helloooooo!_"

Mina inwardly cursed as the buck bolted, and _Ameru_ entered the clearing. _That little __**bastard!**_Why did he have to do that? As Ameru continued to call for Mina, her angered mind briefly contemplated firing the arrow at Ameru. While she wouldn't have _actually_ done it, it still seemed pretty damned tempting. Mina refused to move as Ameru continued to search. While she could have gotten up and taken off, she had no doubt that Ameru would see her.

Soon, Ameru's search brought him closer to Mina's hiding place. She was surprised when she noticed that Ameru was holding a spear, so he actually _had_ been intending to help her hunt? Well, considering how he was holding the spear, this was clearly his first time trying to use one. Even if he actually _was_ intending to help her, it was quite clear to Mina that Ameru just wouldn't be much help.

But Ameru was getting closer and closer to Mina's hiding place. If he didn't turn around soon or something, Mina would have to deal with a little coward for the rest of her time hunting. Come on, turn around, _turn around!_

Shockingly, Mina did not appear to possess mind control, considering Ameru was still coming her way. However, both Mina and Ameru froze when a chuckle came from the other side of the clearing. "It's not smart to come out here by yourself, kid."

Ameru turned around, and Mina inwardly gulped when they both saw a +Anima that looked a bit like a hyena from the chest up walk into the clearing, a grin on his hyena face. Mina didn't know what to do, it had never occurred to her that +Anima would be in the forest! Ameru had no chance to win this fight! What should Mina do? Should she try getting a sneak attack on the +Anima? While it would save Ameru, it would also give away Mina's location to Ameru.

No, it wasn't possible. The +Anima was now standing so Ameru was right in-between the +Anima and Mina. Mina couldn't hit the hyena +Anima like this, there was too much risk involved.

She was still trying to figure it out when Ameru did the last thing Mina expected from him. With a savage war cry, Ameru charged at the hyena +Anima, and tried to ready his spear. While Mina was shocked at Ameru's decision to fight instead of flee, it was a wasted effort. Ameru clearly had no idea how to hold a spear, although he _did_ appear to understand the concept of the spear being used to stab things.

Mina could only cringe when Ameru swung the spear towards the +Anima like a battering ram. When the +Anima easily side-stepped Ameru's attack, Mina had to admit she wasn't all that surprised. But what the +Anima did next _did _surprise both Ameru and Mina. It grabbed the spear, and it soon turned into a sort of tug-of-war between Ameru and the +Anima.

Just when it looked to Mina like Ameru was going to free the spear, the +Anima bent forwards, and it soon had the middle of the spear in its mouth. With an abrupt _crack_, the +Anima actually _bit_ the spear in half. Mina wasn't surprised when Ameru immediately let go of both halves of the spear and bolted for the city.

Unfortunately, Mina watched Ameru leave. When she looked back at the clearing, she immediately paled as she realized the +Anima had disappeared. This was bad, where had it gone? Had it noticed her, or had it given chase? Or had it decided Ameru wasn't worth the trouble, and re-entered the forest? Should Mina get up and flee before the +Anima could find her, or-

Mina lost all resemblance of color when she heard and felt a noisy breath _just_ to her right, and a small bit of hot air moved her hair.

"_So who are we hiding from?_"

Mina immediately turned to face the speaker, and she felt a bolt of lightning go through her when her fears were confirmed. The +Anima was less than a foot away from her, staring _right_ at her face with a large grin on its own. Mina immediately got to her feet and aimed the bow towards the +Anima. But when she went to nock the arrow, she suddenly realized she had been out-planned. Hanging loosely from the wooden part of the bow were the remains of the bowstring, had the +Anima actually been able to _cut_ the string without Mina noticing?

Mina tried to back away, but she forgot about the bush behind her. She tripped over it, and gave out a small cry of pain as she got back up to her feet. The +Anima simply laughed as he stepped over the bush, soon looking down at Mina with an expression that resembled a hyena grinning. He then opened his mouth to speak, but abruptly froze in place as his hyena ears twitched. The +Anima then looked around, alarm on its face.

When the +Anima grabbed Mina's hand, she didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, she didn't have long to ponder it. The +Anima quickly pulled her to her feet, then nodded back to where Mina had been hiding. "There's no time to explain, just go back where you were hiding, get out of sight, stay completely silent, and don't move until I tell you too."

When Mina later looked back at her reaction, she never could figure out why she obeyed. Had she sensed that the +Anima was worried for her safety? Had she realized that the +Anima could simply have killed her earlier if it had actually wanted her dead, instead of alert her to the fact that it had seen her? Whatever the reason, Mina quickly went back over by her hiding spot and hid behind the bush.

It wasn't long before she heard an animal quickly approaching the clearing, although which animal it was she couldn't tell. So when what Mina could only describe as a dragon entered the clearing, she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. What was going on? Dragons didn't exist!

This thing though . . . wow. Unmistakably reptilian, it walked around on all fours. If it was standing on its hind legs then the lizard would be about the size of a human, not including the large tail that more than _doubled_ its body length. On its back were three rows of spikes that ran from its head to its tail. Spikes also appeared around its eyes, and it had frills that looked almost like ears. This thing also had claws, and large teeth clearly designed for ripping almost any living thing apart.

The +Anima simply cleared his throat before he spoke. "Is something wrong, Thraw?"

The dragon-thing gave a low and menacing growl towards the +Anima, and then the impossible happened. Mina watched as the creature opened its mouth, and a voice came from the creature. "I heard . . . I heard a human. Do you . . . do you require help, Yena?"

Mina heard the creature, but she couldn't believe it. It sounded like an older teenage girl's voice, laced with cruel intentions. But . . . but it was an animal, wasn't it? Or . . . no. No, this couldn't be a +Anima, there was no _way_ . . . and yet, the hyena +Anima responded relatively calmly to the dragon. "No, I'm good. Just took care of a cowardly human, who ran away. Only damage I got was a few splinters in my mouth."

Mina could only shudder when the dragon-thing roared at the other +Anima. "_You let them get __**away?**_ What is _wrong_ with you, Yena? They are the _enemy!_ Now, which way did they go?"

The hyena +Anima . . . Yena, as this thing kept calling him, soon sighed. "Alright. He ran that way."

Yena surprised Mina when he actually pointed in a quite different direction from where Ameru had ran. The dragon thing didn't say another word, instead charging out of the clearing in the direction that Yena had pointed. After Mina heard the dragon-thing go through the forest for a while, she was surprised when Yena motioned for Mina to get up. Mina complied, too confused to really understand the situation. This Yena . . . had he just _saved_ her? Not only her, had he saved Ameru?

"So, what's your name?"

Mina flinched at the question, but soon responded with her name. She looked towards where the dragon thing had gone, trying to understand what it was.

"Oh, that was Thraw."

Mina yet again flinched, but soon found that Yena was smiling at her. "Thraw's a +Anima of a giant crimson rock lizard. Her +Anima form's so complete that she is a flawless imitation of said creature. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if she wasn't so rash, but . . . enough about her."

Yena soon gave Mina a sympathetic smile. "No offense, but you're clearly new here. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but you've walked into the +Anima side of the forest. Then again, seeing that kid that was following, I can't say I blame you for trying to put some distance between the two of you. Here, follow me."

Mina did, although she also restrung her bow while Yena wasn't looking. Yena walked for a bit in one direction, but soon came to a stop and nodded to his left. "The city's over there. I know it's hard to keep your direction in the forest, but you shouldn't cross this area here. This is about halfway through the city. If you're going to continue hunting, stay on that side. While some of us +Anima are understanding, especially when it comes to chasing prey, if you run into one that shares Thraw's mindset then you are _screwed_."

Mina didn't really know what to say. This whole +Anima thing didn't make much sense to her. Yet again, a +Anima was doing something she didn't expect. But this time . . . this one was . . . _helping_ her? "Uh . . . th-thanks. I . . . I'll keep that in mind."

She wasn't really certain what to think. This was so strange . . . she hadn't realized that some +Anima were actually . . . _helpful_. As she tried to figure it out, she was suddenly aware that Yena had vanished. For a while, she just stood there and tried to figure out what to think. It wasn't long before she had to concede defeat. It was just too much to take in at one time. Soon, she decided to simply get back to hunting.

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><p>Okay, I admit it. The giant crimson rock lizard was from the parallel universepractice test chapters, which aren't really part of the story. I just thought it would be EPIC to have a +Anima of that creature here.

Now, I know you're probably wondering why I'm focusing on Mina like this. Well, there's a few reasons. First and foremost, I don't believe in a good side or an evil side. It all depends on which side a person's on. This is a very firm conviction of mine, I hate making one side seem to be the enemy, because there _must_ be a reason someone would act that way.

Oh, and reason number two: it's a convenient way to introduce some of the other human characters.

There are more reasons, but I'm not giving those away _quite_ yet. This is one of the most complex plots that I've ever written, which is part of the reason I'm having such a hard time writing it.

Not sure how long the next chapter's going to take, I've got a _lot_ that's supposed to be introduced in it.


	59. Love At First Bite

Hi again!

Sorry for the long delay. I was busy taking a break from writing. It was just getting to the point where I was getting a headache trying to write about We Four Freaks, so I had decided to take a break. On the bright side, I have now had my break and I feel quite refreshed. So enough about me.

SO, as I've stated before, this is a very complex plot. It's hard to keep track of what I've hinted towards for different characters and the like. There are a lot of +Anima I need to introduce, and as such this is the introduction of three new characters.

* * *

><p>It was with a bit of surprise that Kesi finally reached the spot he and Kshtsi were supposed to meet Ele and Tulig. Almost immediately, he began to wonder . . . had he followed the directions wrong? Was this the wrong place? Let's see here, there was the bush that supposedly looked like a dog . . . and it was next to what had to be the largest tree that Kshtsi had ever seen . . . and he had been walking this way for about five minutes, right? Yeah, he had followed Lerigna's instructions exactly.<p>

So where was everyone? Kesi had thought he was going to be late, but . . . well, apparently he was the first one here. Or was he the last one? Had everyone already met up here and decided to leave without him? If that was true, then wouldn't it be a waste of time for Kesi to be staying here right now?

Kesi damn near jumped out of his skin when he heard a rustling noise from the trees. He wildly looked around, his heart jumping to his throat. Normally he wouldn't be so paranoid, but after what had happened during that battle . . . he had had no _idea_ that the archer had been aiming at him! If Ryca hadn't intercepted the arrow, Kesi would have died without even _knowing_ that he was going to!

So yes, he was a little . . . jittery at the moment. A more honest way to state it was that he was a nervous wreck, jumping at every small noise and shadow. The entire world felt so much more dangerous. He had almost _died_, and he would never have seen it coming! And of course, when Kesi heard a sleepy girl's voice come from a bit above him, well . . . he couldn't have jumped higher if he had _tried_.

"Hmm? Who're you?"

Kesi felt his heart pounding as he looked up. Now, he was in a state where he was almost worried about _anyone_ trying to kill him. But even he could see that the person he was speaking to wasn't really much of a threat. Lying down on a tree branch was a girl covered in fur with three unusual claws attached to her arms. It kind of looked like . . . was this a _sloth_ +Anima?

Whatever she was, she had _huge_ circles under her eyes. She didn't seem to have gotten much sleep at all. Right now, the girl was giving Kesi a look of mild amusement. She was lazily holding up her head with her right hand, while her left hand was hanging down limply. She made no effort to get up from her lying-down position, instead simply staying there and sleepily eyeing Kesi.

Eventually, Kesi became aware that the sloth +Anima had asked him for his name. As such, Kesi timidly gave his name. He was surprised when the sloth +Anima gave a slight chuckle, soon allowing her right arm to hang down limply and simply lying her head down on the branch, as if supporting her head with her arm was just taking her too much energy. "Ah, that explains it. Lerigna explained to us that you're a bit jumpy at the moment."

The girl yawned in-between saying 'Lerigna' and 'explained', but made no effort to apologize for her rudeness. Kesi wasn't about to question it, but still . . . no, focus. So this was either Tulig or Ele? It seemed strange that she didn't give Kesi her name, although Kesi had to admit it could just have been his paranoid mind playing tricks on him. "I'm sorry, but . . . are you Tulig or Ele?"

The sloth +Anima gave an almost annoyed look at Kesi, who immediately attempted to backtrack. "I-uh, I'm sorry. I just, i-if you don't want to tell me then you don't have to, I'm just curious is all."

Almost the instant Kesi began speaking the sloth +Anima's expression had changed back to one of mild amusement. Once he was done, the sloth +Anima spoke with an almost disinterested voice. "It's alright. To answer your question, Lerigna apparently forgot to mention me. Name's Ereth, I'm your group's bodyguard. Ele and Tulig should be here soon. As for me, I'm goin' back to sleep."

To Kesi's complete shock, Ereth almost immediately closed her eyes. A few seconds later, Ereth was giving light snores. It . . . had she _honestly_ just fallen asleep? What in the . . . okay, so this was the bodyguard for the fishers? Oh, yes. Kesi rolled his eyes as he mumbled to himself. "Some bodyguard."

Kesi yelped when Ereth's eyes flew open. As he blushed at his own reaction, Ereth gave a light grin towards him. "I heard that."

Without saying another word, Ereth closed her eyes again. Now that Kesi knew Ereth wasn't _actually_ asleep yet, he wasn't going to say anything more. Instead, he simply decided to wait.

If it wasn't for his current paranoia, Kesi would likely have never noticed the sound of a nearby twig snapping. The way it was, Kesi immediately turned around. He _just_ caught sight of a hand slipping behind the large tree, and it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him. Someone was hiding behind the tree!

Kesi's mind immediately went into a panic. Why would someone be hiding? This couldn't be an ally, why would an ally hide from him? This had to be a human. But for one to get this far into +Anima territory could only happen if this one was extremely skilled. That meant that the instant Kesi turned away from the tree, he'd be killed!

He didn't know what to do. All he knew was he had to keep his eyes on that tree, and keep alert for any sign of movement. A hundred different ideas for what he should do raced through his head, but most of them either required something that he didn't have or else they were just plain stupid.

Eventually, he decided that he had to go over by the tree. If he looked around the corner of the tree, at the very least he would know what he was up against. He never once thought about alerting Ereth to the situation, if simply because he was pretty certain she wasn't much of a bodyguard. Instead, Kesi timidly walked over to that tree, and soon forced himself to walk around the large trunk of the tree to find the person on the other side.

He couldn't have been more surprised when he found no one there. Okay, panic over. Maybe it was just his paranoid mind? Ugh, was this how Zacyr felt whenever he saw one of his hallucinations? Kesi would have to ask him about-

"Hi there."

While the voice got Kesi by surprise, he was actually extremely relieved. That was Kshtsi's voice, and it had come from the clearing! It'd be so much easier to wait with someone-_**WHAT THE HECK?**_

Not even a second after Kshtsi had spoken, Kesi immediately heard someone rushing around the trunk of the tree, from the side that was facing the clearing. He turned towards the footsteps, and watched in complete shock as a girl about Kesi's age came into view. Not that he had long to think about it. The girl was rushing towards him, looking behind herself in what was undeniably fear. Kesi didn't even have time to blink before the girl collided with him, running into him with enough speed that they both fell over.

Ultimately, Kesi soon found himself on the ground with the girl on top of him, their faces mere inches apart. Her long white hair was now covering the sides of Kesi's face, forming a sort of curtain from the outside world. But all Kesi could focus on were the girl's eyes. From Kesi's view, he could only describe them as a beautiful shade of blue. While those same eyes were wide in shock and fear, Kesi couldn't help himself from blushing. This girl was . . . really pretty.

The two of them stayed like that for only a second before the girl got off of Kesi, scrambling to her feet and running over to another tree. As Kesi got up, he soon found the girl half-hidden behind a different tree, looking out from behind the tree with eyes wild with fear. It took Kesi a moment before he realized he should be saying something.

He no longer had any doubt who had been hiding behind the tree. This girl was clearly timid, even more-so than Kesi was. When Kesi had gone around the tree, the girl must have moved to keep him from seeing her, at which point Kshtsi had entered the clearing and spotted her. Now the girl had been seen, and she was clearly afraid of Kesi.

It was kind of strange, really. Kesi didn't even notice his own boldness as he spoke to the girl, and he didn't even notice how hard he was trying to show the girl that he wasn't a threat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I had a big scare just a few hours ago, so my nerves are a little frayed at the moment."

It was kind of working. The girl was slowly walking more and more into view, letting Kesi see her better. He felt himself blush as he found a few strange thoughts flying through his head. He tried to force those thoughts to go away, but they refused. For a bit, he waited for the girl to speak. When she didn't, Kesi decided to take the initiative. "My name's Kesi. What's yours?"

He didn't expect it when the girl blushed furiously. Of course, he was _much_ more startled when the girl tore a small branch off of the nearby tree, and immediately began nibbling on it. Okay, uh . . . how exactly was Kesi supposed to respond to this? Wait, could this be a nervous habit of hers? She _did _look like she was upset about something . . .

"Tulig."

This time Kesi must have leapt a good five feet into the air. He immediately looked up, and was shocked to find that Ereth was on a large branch on the tree the girl was standing next too. Ereth was looking down at Kesi, and this time she looked _very_ amused. "Her name's Tulig. Tulig, look at your hands."

Kesi immediately looked at the girl - Tulig - just in time to see her spot the branch she was nibbling on. Tulig flinched, and immediately dropped the branch as if it were a snake. After a moment, Kesi was caught completely off guard to see Tulig blush even more.

Alright, so her nibbling the branch must have been a nervous habit that she was embarrassed about. After giving Tulig a few more seconds to say something, Kesi cleared his throat. "Okay, uh . . . i-it's nice to meet you, Tulig. That's a very pretty name you have."

Kesi almost smiled at Tulig's reaction. Her eyes opened wide with shock, and soon she gave a shy smile as her face brought new meaning to the color red. Kesi wasn't prepared for the feeling he got when he saw her smile. It . . . it was kind of weird. He felt like . . . well, seeing her happy made _him_ feel happy, if that made any sense. Kesi had never felt like this before. He had cared for Rudeg, of course, but not like this. Something was different about Tulig, and he had to admit that he liked it.

Still, Tulig wasn't saying a word. It was starting to confuse Kesi, was he being a bit _too_ bold with her? She clearly didn't feel confident with herself, although-

"It's not that she _won't_ speak, Kesi."

Kesi flinched before he looked back up at Ereth. Ereth had a large smile on her face as she continued to speak, sounding quite a bit more alert than she had before. "It's that she _can't_. From my understanding, she was born a mute. She used to get harassed about it all the time, so she's very sensitive to the fact that she can't speak."

Kesi was shocked, but he only felt embarrassed for not noticing. Tulig still seemed rather timid, and started retreating behind the tree again. Kesi was rather shocked. Even with his own rather paranoid mind at the moment . . . Tulig was _really_ easily frightened.

"She's always been a bit . . . emotional."

Kesi was starting to get used to Ereth's abrupt interruptions. He didn't even flinch this time as he looked back at Ereth, who continued to speak. "She and I go back a ways. We've been friends for a while now. I can't tell you how many times that some jackass has come up and harassed her for not being able to speak."

Kesi immediately responded. He didn't see the look in Ereth's eyes, nor did he notice the grin on Ereth's face rapidly growing to incredible proportions. "That's just cruel. It's not her choice to be a mute! Why would someone pick on her for something she can't control?"

Kesi also didn't notice when Tulig moved. He was too focused on waiting for an answer Ereth had no intention to give. So the first clue he had to Tulig's reaction was when a slender pair of arms wrapped around him, and he immediately looked down to find Tulig holding him tightly. There was a sparkle in her eyes, and a brilliant smile on her face that Kesi was in no way prepared to see. Still, he soon found a large smile growing on his own face as he returned the embrace.

Both he and Tulig looked up when they heard chuckling, and both of them blushed when they found Ereth giving them a thumbs-up. "Good answer, Kesi."

Kesi couldn't help but grin. He could have stayed like that forever, with Tulig holding onto him, but they were abruptly interrupted when Kesi heard a cry from Kshtsi. He immediately turned towards the source of the cry, and was surprised to find Kshtsi standing near the girl that must have been Ele. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and . . . well, it looked like something was wrong with her skin.

Currently, Kshtsi was eyeing the girl next to him with clear annoyance as he rubbed his arm. "How the hell do you _do_ that?"

The girl chuckled, and at the same time Kesi almost jumped out of his skin when he felt teeth on his shoulder. Tulig's nervous habit immediately came to Kesi's mind, and once he made the connection that Tulig was unintentionally nibbling on his shoulder he decided not to bring it up. Unfortunately, Kshtsi didn't quite share that same understanding. "Uh, is she . . . trying to eat him or something?"

Kesi cringed when Tulig's teeth immediately lifted off of his shoulder. It wasn't that it was painful, it was that the speed told Kesi that Tulig was horrified that she had done it. Kesi turned around quickly, and his conscience immediately berated him when he saw the look on Tulig's face. She looked completely horrified at her unintended actions, and was blushing so fiercely that it looked like she had gotten sunburned. When a few tears came from Tulig's eyes, Kesi felt that he _had_ to find a way to help calm her down.

"Hey now, it's okay Tulig. I-uh, a lot of people nibble on my shoulder when they're nervous - well actually not a _lot_, I mean . . . I uh . . . you know, it's a perfectly natural response to feeling nervous. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Kesi could only blush when the blond haired, green-eyed girl began laughing hysterically. However, when he saw the slight smile appear on Tulig's face, Kesi felt much more relieved. Eventually Kshtsi cleared his throat, getting Kesi and Tulig's attention. "So who's your girlfriend, Kesi?"

While Kesi was going to answer, he was shocked when the other girl began to speak, finally having gotten a hold on her laughter. "Sorry Tulig, I couldn't resist. _Anyways"_

The girl then surprised Kesi when she looked at him, an amused expression on her face and a slight sparkle in her eyes. "You must be Kesi. My name's Ele. As Lerigna probably told you and Kshtsi, both Tulig and I make up the fishers. Oh, and before I forget"

Ele then turned and faced Kshtsi. Kshtsi himself gave a slight frown, which only got a slight grin from Ele. However, she pointed up in the trees towards Ereth. "That's Ereth. She's our bodyguard, and Tulig's long-time friend. And to answer your previous question, I'm an electric eel +Anima. When in my +Anima form, I can deliver electric shocks to anyone or anything I come in contact with."

Kshtsi looked surprised, and Kesi cocked his head. Ele immediately noticed Kesi's reaction, and gave another slight grin. "Are you wondering why Kshtsi cried out like that? I shocked him in the hindquarters. Oh, and before I forget"

Ele then turned and faced Kshtsi again, nodding over towards Tulig. "This is Tulig. She can't speak, and she's very sensitive about that. She also has a nervous habit of nibbling on anything she can get her hands on."

Kesi watched as Tulig blushed and turned the other way. Seeing her shame cut Kesi to the quick. He immediately cleared his throat in response and spoke to Ele. "Should we be going to the fishing area?"

It wasn't the fact that Ele rolled her eyes that got Kesi's attention. He was much more focused on the smile Tulig gave Kesi, and was surprised when Tulig immediately wrapped her left arm around Kesi's right arm.

However, Ele surprised them when she shouted up towards the branch that Ereth was lying on. "Alright, we're _going!_"

Ereth gave a tired yawn as a response, and made no effort to move from the tree branch. "I'll meet you there, like usual."

As Kesi watched, Ele gave a groan. Placing her hands on her hips, Ele gave Ereth a slight glare. "It's your job to defend us Ereth! While _yes_, we haven't died yet, don't you think that you should follow us _anyways?_"

Ereth's only response was to close her eyes. Kesi flinched when Ele swore harshly. "_**Oh, for god's SAKE! Just because you're a sloth +Anima doesn't mean you should ACT like a sloth!**_"

For a bit, Kesi and the others waited for Ereth's response. It came about ten seconds after Ele's words, and consisted of a loud and noisy snore. Ele swore again, but this time she raised her hands in defeat. "Oh, whatever. Come on, I'll lead you to the lake."

Ele didn't wait for a response. She turned around and marched off through the trees, only stopping once to give an annoyed glare towards Ereth. While Kesi could tell that Ele seemed to hold a slight anger towards Ereth . . . could she really be blamed? Ereth probably _should_ have been coming with, but instead she was sleeping on a branch.

Still, it wasn't Kesi's place to tell Ereth what to do. As such Kshtsi, Kesi, and Tulig all followed after Ele, with a smile coming to Kesi's face when Tulig rested her head against his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Now see, I don't believe a hyena should be a prankster. They <em>laugh<em>, not commit pranks all the time. But an electric eel? Now _that_'s a good prankster.

Kesi getting a girlfriend originally started as a joke, and as before, it has very little impact on the story itself. Originally Kesi was going to be a chick magnet, with seven girls in total that chase after him, and it was going to be a complete war between the girls with Kesi as the prize. Eventually though, I decided that while it WOULD be funny to have the more timid boy find seven fierce girls fight to the death over him, it was just too much overkill. However, most of those girls have remained in the story, although only Tulig falls for Kesi.

Tulig is a fun character to make: she can't speak, so I have to express her emotion through her actions. I wanted a timid girl who was very sensitive to her flaws, and I believe I've succeeded.

The month-long break was (hopefully) a one-time thing, so I should be getting back to more writing now. I've decided now that The Cody Chronicles will be worked on after the story, so I can still change what happens over the Cody Chronicles to both give hints to events that have/will happen in We Four Freaks.

(It is also partly due to the fact that I keep forgetting about it.)


	60. Someone For Everyone

If you recall, in the last chapter both Kesi and Kshtsi met Tulig, Ele, and Ereth. But what exactly happened to them during their fishing trip?

* * *

><p>Ele gave a smile towards Kshtsi as she led the group through the trees. "I think they make a cute couple."<p>

Kshtsi could only grin as he looked back towards Kesi and Tulig. Both of them were relatively timid, although it looked like Kesi was certainly the braver out of the two of them. Right now Tulig was holding onto Kesi's hand, and Kesi had a very large smile on his face. Kshtsi couldn't help but grin at the sight. "Yeah, they do."

Ele gave a slight sigh, which got Kshtsi to turn back around and face her. He hadn't known what to expect when he had been told he was going to fish with Ele and Tulig, and of course Kesi, but it certainly wasn't this. Tulig seemed to be a very shy person, no doubt caused by her inability to speak. _Ele_ though . . . Kshtsi couldn't figure her out. When she had introduced herself, she had certainly sounded polite and offered a handshake. When Kshtsi actually _accepted_ the handshake though . . . well, he still couldn't feel his left hand all that much. That shock had been strong enough to be painful, and Ele had gone into a slight giggle-fit after that.

Now Kshtsi was trying to be careful to keep Ele in his sights. She seemed to be quite a prankster, and so far had shocked Kshtsi a total of three times. However, she also had times when she showed herself to be a bit more mature than she acted, both apologizing for her pranks and explaining the situation.

"Hmm?"

Kshtsi immediately focused, and found Ele staring into the trees to Kshtsi's right. He immediately turned to look that way, not realizing until too late that he had turned his back towards Ele. He yelped when Ele again shocked him, again by tapping him on the hindquarters. When he turned back around Ele was giggling hysterically, although she soon turned and went back to leading the three of them through the trees. Not to say she completely stopped chuckling.

It took a long time (and five more pranks, each one resulting in Kshtsi getting shocked), but eventually the four of them saw a lake in the distance. However, what really shocked Kshtsi was the figure leaning on a tree next to the lake with a slight grin on her face. "Told you I'd be here."

Ereth gave a loud yawn, and soon dug her claws into the tree next to her. From there, she _slowly_ climbed the tree, during which time Kshtsi saw Ele eyeing Ereth with disgust. As Ereth finally reached about five feet off of the ground, Ele shook her head and turned to face Kshtsi, Kesi, and Tulig. "Okay, whatever. First off, I need to know how the two of you fish."

With that, Kesi soon asked Kshtsi for a little help. Kesi then went down to all fours, and both Ele and Tulig flinched as Kesi transformed into a porcupine. He then turned around to face his quills at Kshtsi, who gulped. He hadn't done this before. Did he just . . . grab one and yank it out?

Kshtsi soon looked through the quills until he found the longest one. He gave a slight gulp before he tugged on it, but the quill stayed firm. While he was going to try again, all the quills suddenly began to shorten as Kesi came out of his +Anima form, a slight blush on his face. "Oh, right. You haven't done this before, sorry. Just yank one out as hard as you can, it doesn't hurt me. I prefer longer quills, but it doesn't really matter."

With that Kesi went back into his +Anima form, and it was only when Kshtsi realized where he was standing that he backed up, narrowly avoiding one of the quickly-growing quills. Once the quills stopped growing, Kshtsi grabbed the largest one he could see and pulled hard. He was surprised when the quill almost slipped out from Kesi, and Kshtsi almost fell over from the force he had used. This in turn earned him a large bout of laughter from Ele, which got Kshtsi to blush.

Kshtsi was still blushing when he handed the quill to Kesi, who had come out of his +Anima form. Kesi accepted the quill with a smile, politely thanking Kshtsi. As Kshtsi watched, Kesi then tossed the quill like a javelin into the lake-water. The quill landed about five feet from the shore, and Kesi waded over to it and yanked the quill back out of the water with a slight grin on his face.

Kshtsi, Tulig, and even Ele were in awe when they saw the large fish now caught on the quill. Kesi gave a slight smile as he walked back onto land and kicked the fish off of the quill. "I'm not good at the preparing of the fish, but . . ."

To Kshtsi's surprise, Ele laughed and walked over to the fish. She tapped it with her pointer finger, and the sound of a strong electric shock rang through the air. The fish immediately stopped moving, and as Kshtsi watched Ele masterfully scaled the fish before putting it inside of a small bag. "Don't you worry about preparing it, that's my job."

Kshtsi let out a small grin, although when Ele asked how Kshtsi fished that grin was wiped right off of his face. Kshtsi could only blush as he tried to get away with saying that he fished underwater. As may be expected, Ele wasn't fooled. In fact, it only seemed to make her all the more interested, and a slight sparkle appeared in her eyes as she asked Kshtsi to get more specific.

Kshtsi wasn't ashamed of his fishing skills, considering how quickly he could catch a lot of fish. Normally, even his +Anima form didn't really bother him all that much. But he had to admit, the fact that the tentacles came from his waist made it seem that he was wearing some bizarre sort of dress. While he was able to take a joke or two about it, especially from Tachine, Sarysi, or Zacyr, he knew right away that Ele was going to have a field day with him when she learned what his +Anima form was.

Still, he couldn't get out of this. His face turned a deep shade of scarlet while he allowed himself to go into his +Anima form. He couldn't get himself to even look Ele in the eye as the tentacles sprouted from his waist and quickly lengthened until they were at their full size. He knew that any second now, Ele was going to begin laughing hysterically.

"Ah, so . . . so you simply have to . . . go underwater, and . . ."

Kshtsi immediately looked up in shock. He was _not_ expecting the expression he found on Ele's face. She clearly found his +Anima form funny, as every time she tried to speak she would soon snort and almost go into a giggle fit. But what really surprised Kshtsi was the fact that Ele was clearly trying _not_ to laugh. However, it clearly wasn't working for her. She couldn't say more than a few words before she again snorted and began chuckling.

Kshtsi was startled again when Ele closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths. The effect it had on her was quite impressive. Every breath seemed to fill her with a calm, and it wasn't long before Ele opened her eyes and tried to speak again. This time her voice was much calmer, without even a hint of a chuckle. "Alright, so your way of fishing is to go underwater and just let the fish swim by you to get caught in the tentacles?"

It was only after Kshtsi nodded that he realized how futile the effort was. Ele's eyes were still closed, so she couldn't see him give a visual cue. Still, it was hard for him to speak, if only because he was still extremely shocked at Ele's show of maturity. "Y-yeah."

Ele then opened her eyes again, and gave Kshtsi a slight grin. "This works out nicely, actually. Do you know how to prepare fish too, Kshtsi?"

Kshtsi nodded again, and Ele gave a slight grin. "Alright. Here's how we're going to do this. W-"

Everyone flinched when a loud snore rang through the air. Kshtsi immediately located the source to find that Ereth had finally claimed her perch on a tree branch about twenty feet off the ground. At the moment she was lying down with her back to the branch and her arms hanging limply off of the tree.

"**Why you**_** lazy **_**BITCH!**"

Kshtsi flinched again, but Ele wasn't done. She was clearly infuriated, and she put her hands to her hips as she glared fiercely at Ereth's sleeping form. "_**All you do is SLEEP! Couldn't you just be a BIT more considerate and actually do something PRODUCTIVE? How the HELL did you become our bodyguard anyways, with how goddamn LAZY you are?**_"

Ele was clearly willing to go on, but Ereth finally reacted. Of course, the reaction was little more than opening her eyes and looking at Ele tiredly, followed up by a _massive_ yawn, but it was a reaction nonetheless. Once the yawn was done, Ereth spoke in the same tired and unconcerned voice she had spoken in before. "You and Tulig haven't died yet. You haven't even been attacked yet. When you _are_ in danger, I'll help."

While Ele opened her mouth to retort, Ereth drowned her out with another yawn before closing her eyes again. After Ele stuttered in anger for a few seconds Ereth began snoring loudly again. Kshtsi could only watch in shock. Ereth sure wasn't a person that could be intimidated or angered.

"Oh, whatever. _Anyways_"

Kshtsi immediately focused when Ele turned to face them. She gave a weak smile before subtly glaring at Ereth, but instead of starting another argument with Ereth Ele addressed the group. "Here's how it will work. Kesi and Kshtsi, you two will work on _this_ side of the lake right here. When you get a fish Kesi, you toss it to me and I'll get the fish prepped and put into this bag. Kshtsi, I don't know how many fish you can catch at once but once you reach that amount I want you to come back onto land. You will work on preparing them. Now I don't know a whole lot about jellyfish stings, so I don't know if there's a possibility of the sting being transferred from the fish to an eater. As such, we're going to separate the fish you catch and put them in a different bag from the fish that everyone else catches. I'll speak with Doctor Roo to find if she knows about how to prepare fish that have been stung by jellyfish, and make my choices from there. You two understand?"

Kshtsi and Kesi nodded. Appearing satisfied, Ele then turned and gave a grin towards Tulig. "Tulig, you will have the other side of the lake to yourself. Try to scare the fish over to Kshtsi and Kesi's side of the lake. That should make this go a bit faster. If most of the fish are on their side, you can go wild with the fish on your side. You catch any, you come over here"

At this Ele pointed towards a spot on the lake, about where the 'halves' of the lake would meet. "And get them on land. I'll keep an eye on both you and Kesi, so I'll know when the two of you have some. You understand?"

Tulig gave a nod towards Ele. To Kshtsi's surprise Tulig then gave Kesi an almost teasing grin before she sprinted towards the water and dove right in. When Ele chuckled both Kesi and Kshtsi looked at her to find Ele shaking her head with a large grin on her face. "This is one of Tulig's favorite activities. Watch the water carefully."

Kshtsi complied, and while he thoroughly scanned the water closest to them he couldn't see Tulig anywhere. However, she was clearly doing her work: the fish were quickly swimming over towards Kshtsi and Kesi. Kesi gave a slight grin as he readied his quill, and Kshtsi soon took off his shirt and began walking towards the water. That was when a single fish leapt out of the water on Tulig's side of the lake, appearing to be trying to escape something.

Almost immediately afterwards, both Kesi and Kshtsi flinched as Tulig erupted from the lake. What they first saw was her head. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was wide open, with the fish almost immediately vanishing into Tulig's mouth. From what Kshtsi could see that mouth was full of rows and rows of inhuman teeth. But that wasn't all they got to see. Tulig's momentum propelled her entirely out of the water, and soon both Kesi and Kshtsi saw Tulig's +Anima form in its entirety.

Besides for her mouth, the only other change from the waist up was a single dorsal fin that protruded from her back. But from the waist down was a single tail that ended in a strange fin. The color of the 'tail' was white on the underside, yet grey on her back. While Tulig's arms were still human, she had them pressed flat up against her sides in what was likely a way to lessen resistance underwater. As both Kesi and Kshtsi watched on, Tulig landed with a large splash in the lake. Kshtsi almost immediately looked at Kesi, and was quite amused to see Kesi's pure-white face. "What . . ."

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

Both Kshtsi and Kesi turned to find Ele eyeing them with a teasing smile of her own. "Didn't know your girlfriend was a great white shark +Anima? It don't change a thing about her Kesi. But here's a little warning for _you_, Kshtsi. Tulig gets a little excited while chasing fish, so she'll probably show up a few times in front of you. If it looks like she's going to hit you, don't panic. She'll change course before she hits you."

As Ele spoke, Tulig resurfaced where Ele had told her to drop off fish. She then spat out two good-sized fish before going back underwater. Again Ele chuckled, although this time she told both Kesi and Kshtsi to get to work as Ele herself walked over to the two fish Tulig had caught. With only a little bit of hesitation the two boys obeyed her, with Kshtsi lowering himself into the water and Kesi picking up his quill.

For the most part, Kshtsi soon found that Ele's warning was right. Every once in a while Tulig would race towards Kshtsi, chasing a fish, but she still gave Kshtsi a wide berth. With her deliberately scaring the fish over to Kshtsi, he soon found himself with at least twenty fish hanging from his waist and went back to shore. Ele looked quite delighted to see the number of fish. She even complimented Kshtsi without shocking him or cracking a joke.

Kshtsi quickly detached the fish from his tentacles, meaning he picked them off with his hands. It wasn't long before he too was scaling fish and tossing them into the bag Ele had set up for him. They didn't spend long fishing. In fact, he only made that one trip in and out of the water.

When he was finishing up the last fish, he was surprised when Ele stated that they were done for the day, at least until he remembered that Ele and Tulig must have been fishing for a while before Kesi and Kshtsi joined them. Not only that, but the sun was also starting to set. Soon Tulig was back out of the water, and she quickly went back into her human form before she embraced a slightly startled Kesi in a hug. Both Ele and Kshtsi slipped grins to each other as they watched Kesi eventually return the embrace.

"Cute."

The unexpected voice got everyone's attention. Kshtsi paled when he located the source, and he heard both Kesi and Tulig gulp at the same time. Three people were standing behind some bushes, each one wielding a weapon. One of them, the only female of their group, was wielding a bow. She wore a metal helmet that completely hid her face, and as such Kshtsi couldn't even tell what her eye-color was.

One of the others was holding a long chain, lazily twirling the end of it around as he gave a slight grin towards the fishers. That one was the only one not wearing a helmet, and his long hair was a dark shade of grey. He may have been in his twenties, but it looked more like he was in his thirties. His tired blue eyes were focused on Kesi and Tulig, and he almost appeared to be amused.

The last one was clearly the leader of the group. He wore chain mail, and his stance was of a confident yet cautious figure. While he wasn't currently wielding his weapon like the other people were, strapped to his back was a sheathed two-handed sword. The one with the sword gave a cruel chuckle as he drew his weapon. "I was just beginning to wonder if we were going to find any animals to hunt. Killing four +Anima is a great way to relieve stress, I suppose."

Kshtsi didn't know what to do. These three people were obviously from the 'human' side, and it was quite clear they all intended to kill the group. The archer gave a slight chuckle before she spoke, her voice cold and cruel. While Kshtsi couldn't tell for certain, it looked like the archer was a woman somewhere in her 30s. "Which one dies first?"

Kshtsi could only watch in horror as the person with the chain nodded towards Kesi. "How about this one's sweetheart?"

Kshtsi was shocked when Kesi's look of fear almost immediately turned to one of anger. Kshtsi heard the string of the archer's bow going taut just as Kesi got down onto all fours, knocking a startled Tulig off of her feet. Just as Kesi managed a quick transformation into his porcupine form, Tulig fell to the ground.

What happened next took a little bit to register. Kshtsi didn't understand what Kesi was doing when Kesi stood in front of Tulig's body, turning so his quills were aimed _away_ from the archers while staying in place to keep himself between Tulig and the archer. The archer didn't seem to understand it either, and just as Kshtsi heard the _twang_ of the bowstring Kshtsi immediately spread his quills. Because Kesi was standing in front of Tulig, who the archer appeared to still be aiming at, it looked to Kshtsi like Kesi was trying to take the hit. So Kshtsi couldn't have been more surprised when the arrow harmlessly glanced off of Kesi's hide, with the arrow itself flying into the forest behind Kesi.

"We've got a runner!"

Kshtsi flinched as the person holding the chain suddenly whipped the chain over to Kshtsi's left. Kshtsi turned just in time to see that Ele had apparently tried to run, and that the chain was quickly homing in on her.

Ele moved fast, faster than Kshtsi had thought she could. As the chain reached her Ele quickly turned and _caught_ the end of the chain with her right hand. She then chuckled before addressing the chain-wielding enemy with large grin on her face. "Actually, you've got a fighter. Let me _enlighten_ you."

Ele's eyes slanted, and Kshtsi flinched as he heard the chain-wielder give a loud cry of pain. By the time Kshtsi turned to look at the chain-wielder, the chain-wielder was on the ground and having what was undeniably a seizure. Ele chuckled again as she let go of the chain. "Metal conducts electricity. I was _expecting _you to try to catch me with the chain, you dumbass!"

The sword-wielder almost immediately began walking over to Ele, who focused her attention on the sword-wielder. After a few seconds, Kshtsi realized the sword-wielder was a distraction. He turned his head to find the archer just in the process of aiming an arrow towards Ele's head. Kshtsi tried to warn Ele, but the archer simply gave a cruel grin as she pulled back the string. "Too-"

That was all she got to say. For at that moment, a large figure dropped down from the trees above the archer. It landed directly behind the startled archer, but there was no time for her to react. In fact, there was just _barely_ enough time for Kshtsi to register that the blur must have been Ereth before Ereth used the claws on her left hand to slice the archer's bow in half. In the same motion, Ereth dug the claws on her right hand deep into the archer's back. As the archer gave a startled scream of pain Ereth responded with a savage war cry as she slashed open the archer's back.

The archer fell to the ground, but Ereth never stopped moving. Everything seemed to slow down for Kshtsi as Ereth sprinted towards the sword-wielder, and using the sword-wielder's moment of shock Ereth darted under the sword-wielder's guard and knocked the sword out of the man's hand with her left hand, while simultaneously ripping off the man's helmet with her right hand. That was when Ereth gave a slight chuckle towards the swordsman. "_Too slow!_"

Just as the archer's body hit the ground, Ereth embedded her claws deep into the swordsman's forehead. As Ereth yanked her claws out of the man's forehead an eerie silence seemed to fill the surrounding area. Kshtsi couldn't believe how _fast_ Ereth had been. Was this _really_ the same person? It seemed like an eternity before that silence was broken by Ele, her voice filled with clear shock. "Ereth . . . I . . ."

Ereth raised a finger for silence before she slowly walked over to the chain-wielder's body. The chain-wielder's seizure had stopped, but the man had also stopped moving. Ereth soon kneeled next to the body and checked it over. After the longest second of Kshtsi's life, Ereth let out a large sigh. "His heart stopped. Not bad Ele."

Without saying another word Ereth slowly walked over to the lake and began washing her claws. After a few minutes, Ereth turned to face the group with a slight grin on her face. "Go on ahead. I'll be there."

It was a few more seconds before the silence was broken again, this time by Kesi. What Kesi was going to say though would forever remain a mystery for Kshtsi, because Kesi was only able to get out one syllable - an 'O' - before he abruptly cut off with a strange noise. Kshtsi quickly turned to face Kesi, worried that Kesi may have been more injured by the archer than Kshtsi had thought. But when he found out what Kesi's unusual predicament was, Kshtsi immediately had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

While he didn't know the sequence of events that had taken place to put Kesi in his current position, Kshtsi could imagine them. Kesi must have changed out of his +Anima form while Ele and Kshtsi were busy looking at Ereth. Kesi probably had then helped Tulig to her feet. What Kesi had _clearly_ failed to predict was just how grateful Tulig was for Kesi shielding her from the arrow. At the moment Tulig had Kesi in an embrace which pinned Kesi's arms to his side while Tulig's lips were locked with Kesi's.

Kesi quite clearly had not expected this. His eyes were wide with shock, and his face brought a whole new meaning to the color red. Tulig either didn't notice Kesi's shock or she didn't care. About seven seconds after the gasp Tulig stopped the kiss and simply rested her head on Kesi's shoulder. Kesi didn't move at all, staying in the same dumbstruck position for at least five more seconds before Ele burst out laughing. Her laughter apparently cut Tulig to the quick. She let go of Kesi, blushing slightly when Kesi tried to speak. "I . . . I . . . I . . . _wow._"

It was too much for Kshtsi. He burst out laughing, and as both Kshtsi and Ele laughed Ereth addressed Kesi. Ereth herself had an amused grin on her face as she spoke. "Well, yeah. You just saved her _life_. Of _course_ she's going to be grateful."

By the time Kshtsi and Ele were done laughing, Ereth had gotten her claws washed of blood. Ereth then offered to carry the bags, after marking Kshtsi's bag. It wasn't long before the five of them were walking through the forest, with Tulig again resting her head on Kesi's shoulder. It wasn't long before Ele spoke to them. "It's been - at the _most _- two hours since the two of you met, Kesi, and what's all happened during that time? You got your first hug, you got your first kiss . . . haven't the two of you heard of taking it _slowly_? I mean, oh my _god_. I already know what you two will be doing tonight."

Kshtsi didn't turn to see Kesi or Tulig's reactions. Instead he decided to speak to Ereth. "So . . . what exactly happened there?"

Ereth gave a slight sigh before shaking her head. "Not entirely certain. While they certainly wouldn't have felt regret for killing +Anima, I don't think that was their initial goal. It seemed more like they were hunters that wandered into our territory, or a single hunter with a heavy escort, in case they ran into +Anima."

To Kshtsi's surprise Ele spoke up, addressing both Ereth and Kshtsi. "I've been in the city for over six months now, and in all that time I've never seen a 'human' find one of our fishing areas. While it is true that we choose a different fishing area every day to throw off possible attackers, it's never . . . I guess I grew overconfident that we wouldn't be in danger. And . . . Ereth, how . . . I've never seen you move faster than half a mile an hour, and yet . . ."

Kshtsi wasn't certain, but he thought he heard Ereth chuckle. "I like to take things slow. That does not mean that I'm not fast, Ele. It means I simply choose to move slowly. I'm fast when I need to be."

Ele didn't appear to be pleased with the answer, and she soon spoke again to Ereth. "It's just . . . did you have to be so . . . _brutal_?"

Kshtsi was caught completely off-guard when Ereth burst into laughter at Ele's question. While it didn't last long, it clearly startled Ele as well. Once Ereth stopped laughing, she grinned at Ele. "Compared to quite a few people, some of them being humans and some being +Animas, I like to think I'm not all that brutal. I only inflict the wounds I need to in order to kill."

Ereth left it at that. While Ele clearly tried to learn more, Kshtsi was rather amused when Ereth simply ignored Ele. It was kind of amusing to listen as Ele soon began losing her patience again, and by the time they got out of the trees Ele was again angry at Ereth's aversion to work. Before Ele could snap at Ereth though, Kshtsi was shocked to find three people in total headed their way. He recognized each and every one of them, but two of them still greatly shocked Kshtsi.

One of them was Edreg. Like most of the other +Anima in the city at this time, Edreg was in his +Anima form. While there was a rather kind smile on his face, it was the large bandage that covered the socket which once contained Edreg's left eye that really got Kshtsi's attention. It looked so . . . so _strange_ to see Edreg with only one eye. Granted, the bandage kept Kshtsi from seeing the now-empty eye socket, but _still_ . . .

Next to Edreg was Dancing Shadow. It was only now that Kshtsi saw Dancing Shadow in a large populated area that he realized just _how_ tall Dancing Shadow was. He could easily have peered over everyone else's head. His green eyes were almost radiating shock, but also tinged with amusement.

Following close behind them was Tachine. To Kshtsi's complete shock, he found that Tachine had changed her clothing from the large, heavy white robes that she normally wore. She now wore a tight-fitting shirt that was so short Kshtsi wasn't even certain it _could_ be called a shirt. Tachine's belly was clearly visible. She also wore a pair of white shorts that were . . . well, _quite_ revealing. Hanging from a belt were two daggers, both placed within make-shift sheaths. Her +Anima form was proudly on display, her large tail protruding from the shorts in such a way that it was clearly intentional. Her fox ears stood proudly upon her head as well.

The way Tachine was carrying herself was different from before. Before, she had carried herself almost proudly. Now her stance was much more teasing. She was clearly proud of her body, and many of the male +Anima passing by were gawking at Tachine's body. While her bizarre change in outfit confused Kshtsi, he was shocked when he found himself almost _angry. _It wasn't at Tachine's new outfit though. In reality, he kind of liked it. But Kshtsi found himself having difficulty with the other +Anima staring at Tachine.

But while Tachine's body looked . . . _inviting_, for lack of a better term, the expression on her face was almost _murderous._ Tachine looked _mad_, and if Kshtsi was following Tachine's line of sight correctly then it looked like Tachine was angry at Ele, who was standing next to Kshtsi. Ele herself looked rather confused, but before Tachine could speak Edreg addressed Kesi. "Why _Kesi_, you look like you're doing _very_ well."

Kshtsi turned and was amused to find Kesi blushing slightly, although Kesi clearly couldn't stop the smile that came to his face when Tulig hid behind him. "It's okay Tulig, these are my friends. This is Edreg"

At this Kesi pointed towards Edreg before pointing at Dancing Shadow. "And this is Dancing Shadow. They won't hurt you."

Tulig didn't look all that convinced, but Kshtsi turned his attention to Edreg when Edreg gave a slight sigh. When Edreg didn't elaborate, Dancing Shadow addressed Edreg. "What is the matter, Edreg? Aren't you happy for Kesi?"

Kshtsi was surprised when Edreg blushed and looked away. "Well yeah, but . . . I just . . . I didn't think that he'd get a girl before . . . a-and don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him, but . . . w-well . . ."

When Edreg didn't finish his sentence, Kshtsi decided to change the subject. "So Edreg, how are you doing?"

Edreg looked quite relieved at Kshtsi changing the subject, and responded almost immediately. "Alright, I guess. In case it isn't obvious, I'm a Cyclops now, but I'm okay with that. I've decided to be a hunter instead of a fighter though. I just . . . I'm not made for killing people. I mean, I know it was justified on my end, but . . . what if that guy had friends who would miss him? He only attacked to defend the archer, and . . . I-I just . . . s-sorry, I've been out of it ever since Dancing Shadow, Kesi, and I came back from the fight. I'll be alright."

Kshtsi frowned. He really didn't know what to say. Edreg looked pretty troubled by the whole event, and Kshtsi didn't know whether he was supposed to comfort Edreg over it or if he was supposed to just let Edreg have his space.

In the end, it didn't matter. No one expected when Ereth walked over to Edreg, a sleepy grin on her face. "Well, I'm pretty certain I know a way to help you get that off of your mind."

Kshtsi sure as hell didn't see it coming. One second Ereth was walking over to Edreg, and the next she kissed him full in the mouth. It only lasted for a second, but after Ereth stopped the dumbstruck look on Edreg's face stayed for _quite_ a while. It wasn't long before Ereth spoke again, after giving a slight yawn. "Mind if I stay with you for now, you sexy little weasel?"

Even Tulig and Ele looked completely shocked. As Edreg fumbled for words, Kshtsi noticed Ele tap Tulig on the shoulder. "Tulig, you know Ereth better than I do. What the hell just happened?"

Tulig only shook her head as she gave an exaggerated shrug. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Ereth decided Edreg was taking too long to answer. "Here, let me help you out. 'Would you like to see where we're staying?'"

To Kshtsi's amusement, Edreg lamely repeated the last sentence Ereth said. True, he said it with quite a few more stutters, and it required a total of two repeats before he managed to say it, but Ereth grinned when Edreg finally managed the feat. "Close enough. Come on Kesi and Tulig."

Just like that Edreg, Ereth, Dancing Shadow, Kesi, and Tulig left. Ele, Tachine, and Kshtsi simply watched them go for a bit before Ele abruptly spoke to Kshtsi, surprising Kshtsi when she gave him a teasing grin. "So, you doing anything after-"

"_**FUCK OFF!**_"

Both Kshtsi and Ele jumped as Tachine put herself between Ele and Kshtsi. Kshtsi gulped when he realized that Tachine was even _shaking_ with rage at this point. He grew worried that Tachine was going to stab Ele, but Ele simply gave Tachine a slight grin. "The question was actually for _both _of you."

Poor Kshtsi didn't have any idea what was going on. He was only getting more and more confused by the second. As Tachine blushed furiously and tried to apologize to Ele, Ele simply laughed. "Oh, it's alright. Anyways, are the two of you busy at the moment?"

Tachine and Kshtsi shook their heads no, and Kshtsi was surprised when a strange gleam appeared in Ele's eyes. "Let me show you two something then. But you two _have_ to promise to keep what I want to show you a secret."

After a few seconds both Tachine and Kshtsi nodded to Ele, who gave them a brilliant smile in reply. It wasn't long before both Tachine and Kshtsi were following an excited Ele through the forest.

During the walk, Kshtsi looked more at Tachine. She and Kshtsi hadn't really been speaking to each other recently. Not that there was a reason, they just hadn't. Kshtsi couldn't help but blush as he looked at her new outfit. He hadn't noticed just how pretty she was. Sure she had a few personality quirks, but . . . Kshtsi kind of liked that about her.

He hadn't really given that much thought to all of this before. Kshtsi normally spent his time now worrying about what he was going to do about his own predicament. Maybe he was worrying too much about it? After all, there was so much time that had passed since the incident, and he hadn't heard anything about his parents looking for him.

"Alright, here we are."

Kshtsi pulled himself out of his thoughts as he, Tachine, and Ele saw a clearing not too far away. Ele grinned as she abruptly sprinted towards the clearing, and both Tachine and Kshtsi soon followed her quickly.

When they got to the clearing, Kshtsi looked around in confusion. While the clearing itself was pretty big, the only thing he could see in it was a pretty big hill. Both he and Tachine looked at Ele, who was smiling at them. "Where's the sun?"

Wait, _what?_ Kshtsi could only cock his head in confusion. So when Tachine suddenly gave an '_Oh!_' Kshtsi immediately looked at her. Tachine grinned as she grabbed a startled Kshtsi by the hand and dragged him towards the top of the hill. Once they were there, Kshtsi asked what was going on. It was only when Tachine's eyes opened wide and she mouthed the word 'wow' that Kshtsi turned around, and immediately repeated Tachine's reaction.

The sun was setting, and the entire sky over by the sun now had a spectacular orange-red hue. The view from the top of the hill was incredible, and as the awestruck Kshtsi watched the sunset he was startled when Tachine gently grabbed his hand. When he looked towards Tachine and saw the brilliant smile she was giving him, well . . . it almost seemed like his face and the sky were having a contest to see which one could blush the most. In spite of that, Kshtsi gave a shy smile back, and the two teenagers watched the sunset.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Kshtsi and Tachine turned around, and both of them were surprised to find Ele and the hyena +Anima form before - Yena - racing up the hill hand in hand. It wasn't long before the duo reached Kshtsi and Tachine, and together the four of them watched the final moments of the sunset. During that time, Yena spoke to Kshtsi and Tachine. "I found this spot about a year ago, and after Ele entered the city it wasn't long before I introduced it to her. We've been coming here to watch the sunsets ever since."

It was Tachine who responded, with quite an amused look on her face. "So how'd the two of you meet?"

At the question, Yena and Ele immediately burst out laughing. Once they stopped laughing, both Kshtsi and Tachine were shocked when Yena and Ele high-fived each other. After a few more chuckles, Yena spoke. "Oroco and I were hunting, and during our hunt we found a lake. When Oroco looked in Ele jumped out and shocked him. It was incredible . . . her grace, her looks, even her sense of humor struck a chord with me."

With that Yena gave Ele a playful shove. Ele giggled before addressing Kshtsi and Tachine. "It was the way he giggled like a maniac after my little trick on Oroco that told me I had found the one for me."

Yena immediately looked at Ele. "Hey, now. I don't giggle like a maniac."

Ele immediately grinned, and Yena gave a look of mock horror. "Uh-oh. Well, I got to get going-_bye!_"

Kshtsi flinched when Yena took off, but Ele immediately took off after him and tackled Yena to the ground. Yena tried to get her off, but Ele quickly began tickling Yena's sides. Both Kshtsi and Tachine grinned at each other as Yena indeed began giggling hysterically, soon trying to plead with Ele to stop in-between giggles.

* * *

><p>From the start, I've wanted Kshtsi and Tachine to form a relationship. While I gave a few hints to this earlier on, I've possibly focused a bit too much on the main plot to really let that relationship develop. So that's what this chapter is for. I'll admit that this isn't one of my best chapters writing-wise, and that's probably because it's been so long since I've had time to work on the story that my writing skills are starting to get rusty.<p>

I think that I've introduced enough of the important characters, and several unimportant characters, to really allow the plot to continue moving again. That's one of the reasons that I have the sun setting in this chapter: the first day is finally coming to an end.


	61. Just Business

Hi again! It's been a while, hasn't it?

I think I've introduced enough people to let the story regain it's focus. Now let's get moving!

* * *

><p>Oroco was lying on his bed at the moment. While he tried to fall asleep, his mind was just too active at the moment to let that happen. More than once, his thoughts returned to Zacyr. Oroco grinned as he remembered how he had disarmed Zacyr the instant Zacyr had reached for his bow. Raking his bird-claws across Zacyr's back had just been a bonus.<p>

Then _Yena_ . . . Oroco could only gnash his teeth as he remembered what Yena had told Kshtsi. Why did Yena _always_ call Oroco a chicken +Anima!? Sure Oroco didn't have wings like most bird +Anima, but there _are_ other bird creatures that didn't have wings! Oroco was an _emu_ +Anima! An EMU! Seriously, hadn't Yena _ever_ seen an emu before?

"_Oroco!_"

Oroco immediately sat up and looked around his room. As a girl gracefully flew in through Oroco's window, Oroco got to his feet. Before he could ask Krej what was wrong, heard noise from the room next door. The rest of the inhabitants of the building must have been woken up by Krej. It wasn't long before the door opened and three people Oroco knew well entered the room, one by one. First up, with long white hair and the wings of an eagle, was Yev. Almost right behind Yev was the powerhouse of the group, Thraw the giant crimson rock lizard +Anima. As always, Thraw was in her +Anima form, and left quite a trail of scratch marks on the floor wherever she walked.

Behind those two was a girl with long white hair. Her slender body was heavily accented by the tight-fitting purple shirt and blue shorts that she always wore. Her name was Depri. As she normally did, Depri had the stance of someone who believed they were a very important person. Out of the group that lived in this building, she was the one that had the least changes to her +Anima form. The only change, in fact, was her nose and mouth changing to match those of a lion.

Depri glared at the girl that had flown in through the window, which all in all didn't surprise Oroco. "_Krej._"

Krej's eyes sparkled with sadistic glee as she faced Depri. While Krej couldn't smile, considering that her mouth and nose had formed into a flawless imitation of a parrot's beak, Oroco was pretty certain that Krej would be giving Depri a cruel smile about now.

Unlike quite a few bird +Anima, Krej's wings formed out of her upper back, allowing her to retain the use of her arms and hands while in her +Anima form. The only other thing that changed about her in her +Anima form was . . . well, her face. She was a . . . what had she called it? Come on, Oroco knew this! He had asked like a billion times already . . . a scarlet macaw! There we go, that was her form!

"Now how the hell did you know I was here, Depri? You're deaf, so I know you didn't hear me fly in."

Oroco cringed as Yev turned towards Depri. Because Depri was deaf, she would read the lips of whomever was speaking to learn what they were saying. This was something that Krej enjoyed teasing her about, although that very same fact rendered Depri incapable of understanding what Krej was saying, as Krej spoke through a parrot's beak, which Depri couldn't read. Rather than let Yev tell Depri what Krej had stated, Oroco quickly intervened. "Knock it off Krej, now's not the time. What's up?"

Just as she always did, Krej immediately went back to being serious. She gave a slight flutter of her wings before she spoke. "Oroco . . . Zacyr's not dead."

The news couldn't have been more unexpected. Oroco couldn't stop himself from blurting out a '_**WHAT?**_' which was quickly repeated by Thraw. Krej tried to speak more, but Depri surprised Oroco when she spoke up, sounding quite irritated. "Is this about Zacyr again? It is, isn't it? That's the only thing that can get that large of a 'what' from you Oroco. Oh my _**GOD**_ you three! That's all I've seen you three speak about today! Just give the poor kid _some_ mercy!"

Oroco immediately gnashed his teeth towards Depri. "_He's not a +Anima, he shouldn't even BE here!_"

Depri simply rolled her eyes. While Oroco was fired up himself, Depri suddenly put her hands on her hips and spoke to him. "Either way, what of him? Unibas already informed us that Zacyr is pretty much dead. The fact that Unibas has just about sentenced Zacyr to _death,_ by making him live in the same _building_ as, as that _**MONSTER**_, really has me wondering whether we are doing the right thing by listening to Unibas."

Oroco could only turn his head the other way as Yev spoke to Depri. "She just said that Zacyr's not dead."

Depri surprised Oroco when she burst out laughing. "_No WAY! _Krej, are you on a hallucinogenic or something? You heard Unibas, Zacyr has pretty much been served to Lexa on a silver platter. Let me spell it out for you. _A, C, Y, R,_ space, _I, S,_ space, _D, E, A, D,_ period. Not the bloody period that everyone here but Oroco has once a month, either."

Oroco immediately found himself blushing. _Yes_, he knew he was the only guy in the building. Depri _loved_ to remind him of that one just about any way that she could. But that was part of the reason he was the _leader_ of their gang, right? He wasn't sexist or anything though. In fact, he always thought he was the leader because it was a sort of pity-thing he got from the girls.

"Hey, don't take it that way Oroco."

Oroco flinched as he looked up at Depri, who gave him a kind smile. "You know that it's the male lion that reigns over the female lions, kind of like what you are to us."

Again Oroco blushed. He didn't mean it like that either. He liked to think that he was an alright leader that could keep his group safe. That was part of the problem, actually. He still couldn't _believe_ that Unibas had given Oroco's job to _Ryca_. _**Ryca**_ of all people! That dysfunctional little _piece of shit!_ How _dare_ he take Oroco's job?

Although . . . Oroco also had to admit, after that last event . . . he hadn't _meant_ to alter Unibas' plan. He had thought it was a suicide run to attack from the front, so instead he had his group attack from the left. It . . . it hadn't occurred to him that the humans had expected his group to do so, he had no idea that route held an ambush!

He wanted to say that it was just one mistake, he wanted so badly to be given another chance . . . but Unibas had had enough of his actions. Sure, it wasn't the first time Oroco had altered one of Unibas' plans, but they had never backfired to that extent. Oroco wasn't even certain how he managed to survive that fight. No, calling it a fight would be giving it too much credit. His group had been _slaughtered._

Still . . . no, that wasn't important now. He had made the mistake and he had paid the price. Now he had to focus on redeeming himself. He wanted to _prove_ his own strategic skills were still sharp. And strategically, they couldn't offer _any_ mercy to humans. The humans had already proven that they wouldn't spare +Anima if given the chance.

"He's spacing out again."

Oroco didn't hear Depri. He was too lost in his thoughts. As such, he didn't snap out of it until he felt an open palm hit the side of his face. While he was dazed after that, it didn't take him any time at all to figure out who the culprit was. Only two people in the room - Depri and Thraw - would hurt him physically, and Thraw never left her +Anima form, which considering it altered her form _entirely_ didn't let her have palms to slap Oroco with. Depri on the other hand, while never leaving her +Anima form, still had human hands. As such, it was Depri.

Oroco eventually shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He flinched when Krej spoke up, her voice holding a malice Oroco had never heard before. "_**DEPRI!**_"

As Oroco snapped back to attention, he was completely shocked to find Krej had left her +Anima form. The reasoning behind her going into her human form was clear when she again addressed Depri. It was so Krej herself could speak directly to Depri without a translator deliberately editing what she was going to say. "_**How DARE you hit Oroco! How DARE you!? I've HAD it with your 'let's make fun of him at every chance we get' attitude you deaf, flightless BITCH! Oroco is our group's LEADER! You will show him the respect he deserves or you will leave this group!**_"

Oroco could only stare at Krej in shock. He knew quite well that Krej and Depri had hated each other from the first day that they had met. Krej despised Depri's brash attitude towards life, and in return Depri hated Krej telling her off. When Krej had figured out that Depri was actually _proud_ of the fact that Depri couldn't hear anything, she had quickly found something else that Depri was a bit sensitive about, which was the fact that Depri couldn't fly.

It was a common occurrence for one of them to try chewing out the other for just about anything they did. But Krej didn't normally take it this far. What was more, the almost kind smile Depri gave Krej in reply was _certainly_ not a common act. "Alright."

Even Krej gave Depri a startled look. "What? That's it? No, no 'it's a good thing I can't hear you' or 'wake me up when Krej has gotten it out of her system'? That's . . . I didn't expect . . ."

Oroco most certainly agreed with Krej. The very thought that Depri could simply accept it without an argument was _absurd_. It just wasn't how Depri acted. And yet here she was, smiling and agreeing with Krej's terms? Depri's smile didn't lessen as she addressed Krej. "Nope. I'm tired of arguing with you all the time. You win."

Even Thraw looked completely shocked at Depri's words. Eventually Krej began speaking again, this time staying out of her +Anima form. "I . . . okay, then. Anyways"

"Goodbye."

With that final word, Depri turned around and calmly walked right over to the door. Oroco couldn't compose himself in time to say anything before Depri walked out of the room. A startled Yev called out for Depri and chased after her. While Oroco heard Yev speak to Depri in the hallway, his own thoughts were again in a confused and chaotic mess. Had Depri just left the group?

It seemed to take forever before Yev reappeared in the doorway with a nervous look on her face. It just took one look for Oroco to realize what Yev was about to say. He knew quite well that the only reason Yev was in the group was because Depri had been. It only made sense that if Depri chose to leave, Yev would follow suit. Of course, Yev wasn't quite as bold as Depri was. She fumbled with a few words for about ten seconds before Oroco sighed. "I understand, Yev."

Yev gave a sigh of relief before she again exited the room, closing the door behind her. Oroco then heard Yev sprint down the hallway, probably following Depri out of the building. Thraw, Krej, and Oroco were silent as Yev and Depri exited the building. Krej looked specifically shaken, and it was a while before Oroco even remembered that Krej had come here to tell them something. "So Krej, you mentioned that Zacyr is alive? Are you certain?"

With a bit more gentle prompting from Oroco, Krej finally regained her composure. "Y-yeah. I mean . . . do you remember what Unibas told us?"

Yes, Oroco remembered that. How could he _not?_ It had been one of the many confusing events that had happened recently. He had _not_ been prepared for Unibas to state that Zacyr had been forced to live in Lexa's building. While yes, Oroco wanted Zacyr dead . . . it just, this seemed so abrupt. Unibas had been telling Oroco off for his repeated arguments against Zacyr, and then Unibas suddenly puts Zacyr in a position to be killed and _eaten?_

Oroco had his own theories about Lexa, the only +Anima Oroco truly believed to be a monster. And of course, Oroco had heard the rumors. He had heard how Lexa was the only +Anima ever to _willingly_ join the +Anima fight ring. The most disturbing part about that rumor was that, from a purely logic-based perspective, it was almost perfectly sound. Unlike other +Anima, Lexa would have had no problem with being forced to fight to the death every day. In fact, considering her preferred food source, it would have been _beneficial_ for her.

What had been hell for several +Anima, including Oroco, would have been a god-send for someone like Lexa. She was unbeatable, and after every fight she would probably have consumed the corpse of her opponent. She was guaranteed a meal every day, she got exercise, and no one would try to hunt her down if she was in the +Anima fight ring. In reality, she had probably been _safer_ and more content in the +Anima fight ring than she would have been just about anywhere else.

Of course though, there _were_ flaws with that rumor. That had been nineteen_ years_ ago that Lexa had been brought into the +Anima fight ring. While it was impossible to know Lexa's age for certain, giving that she always hid her body underneath that cowl, her voice sounded like that of a relatively young woman. She couldn't have been older than _seven_ when she had been captured. That was just too young to truly behave in such a manner. Even if Lexa had truly gone to the +Anima fight ring of her own free will, she wouldn't have realized the hell that awaited her there.

As such, Oroco truly believed that Lexa was not a monster before she was put in the fight ring. In fact, he was firmly convinced that Lexa had become a monster _because_ of the fight ring. She was living proof of the long-term mental trauma that the +Anima fight ring had caused. She was without morals. Lexa had grown so disillusioned to the notion of life, that she began to see herself as a predator, and her opponents became the prey. While it wasn't a perfect theory, Oroco believed it was the main cause of Lexa's actions, in specific her cannibalism.

Still . . . no, focus. Oroco was getting lost in his thoughts again. What had they been talking about? Oh right, what Unibas had said. "Yes, I remember."

Krej gulped slightly before she spoke again. "Well, I felt like something was . . . you know, _way_ out of place. Unibas isn't one to change his mind about something so quickly, and we all know he had his mind dead set on keeping Zacyr safe. I don't claim to understand _why_ he did, but he did. Anyways, I decided to fly around Lexa's building a few times."

Both Oroco and Thraw looked at each other in shock. It was Thraw this time that spoke to Krej, her slithery voice sounding rather feral. Of course, that didn't bother Oroco or Krej. It was just how Thraw talked. "Krej, I misjudged you. That takes guts to fly around Lexa's territory."

Krej gave a slight smile before she suddenly flinched. As Oroco watched in amusement, Krej quickly went into her +Anima form, her mouth and nose again becoming a beak as her wings again erupted from her back. The act got Oroco to smile. Krej knew quite well that Oroco hated when a +Anima didn't use their +Anima form. Of course, that was quite ironic because Krej was one of few +Anima that Oroco would tolerate _not_ being in their +Anima form. As Krej tried to apologize, Oroco simply reminded Krej where she was in her explanation.

Krej in return continued her explanation. "Okay, so I was flying around Lexa's territory and looking in the windows. With the first time around I looked in all the bottom windows, and didn't see much out of the ordinary . . . you know, at least for a building Lexa's in. But when I flew around her building the second time, I looked through the windows into the upper rooms. I saw Zacyr _sleeping in a __**bed**_, completely unharmed! I let myself hang around that window for a bit, and I could even see him breathing! Oroco, _Lexa didn't even __**hurt**__ him!_"

As Thraw gave a low growl, which was her favorite way of showing anger, Oroco frowned. Thraw almost immediately suggested an assassination on Zacyr, but Oroco quickly refused. "We don't know the situation at all. We all know Lexa likes to play with her food, and I'm sure as _hell_ not about to try to lecture Lexa about table manners. While this is certainly an unexpected find, we-"

Thraw cut Oroco off with a snarl as she angrily slapped her tail against a wall. "_**Ryca!**_ He's always had that bizarre immunity to Lexa's wrath, and he told everyone that that human was Ryca's best friend! We _were_ had! Lexa's _defending_ that human because of their friendship with Ryca!"

While Oroco felt a bolt of lightning travel through himself, he tried to calm down Thraw before she did any unintentional damage to his room. "Thraw, hold it. Just because Ryca has that strange immunity to Lexa doesn't mean Lexa's going to extend that protection to Ryca's friend. What is more, no matter _what_, we're not going to let ourselves get into a fight with Lexa. She'd put us all in a fate worse than death."

Oroco was startled when Thraw let out a short 'ha' before she addressed them. "Are you even _looking_ at me? I don't _care_ that Lexa is 'unbeatable', I am too! We should assassinate that damn human _tonight!_"

While Krej simply gulped, Oroco sighed. "No, Thraw. I've already made the mistake of not thinking an event through once, and I won't do so again. What we need to do is find out just how 'friendly' Lexa is to Zacyr. She might just be deliberately torturing him mentally. If he's completely terrified of her, then there's no need to end his torture so soon. If she is getting friendly with him, then we will need to find a way to separate her from Zacyr, or the other way around."

While Thraw clearly wasn't happy with the idea, she didn't complain about it. Krej on the other hand almost immediately turned towards the window and prepared to take off.

"_Wait Krej!_"

The words were ripped out of Oroco's mouth almost involuntarily, but he was extremely relieved when Krej turned and faced him with clear shock. That had been too close. "Let me explain how we're going to do this first Krej. _First off_, Zacyr's sleeping right now. The person spying on him wouldn't get any information at this time. Secondly, I don't want you to spy on her again Krej."

Oroco was shocked when Krej immediately blushed and twiddled her fingers. "But . . . I _can_ do it if you want me to! I-I'm not scared of her, I could do it without her catching me!"

Krej's pretend confidence got Oroco to smile at her. He could always count on her to do . . . well, _anything_. She was in no way a coward, and she in fact liked to put her life on the line for Oroco. "I'm grateful that you want to Krej, I really am. But you've already went above and beyond the call of duty by spying on her building without me even _telling_ you to. _I'll_ do it this time. But I'm not telling you to take a break tomorrow. I want you to strike up a conversation with the group that Zacyr entered the town with, and I want you to prepare your other ability. That way, if an assassination _is_ required, we can manipulate Zacyr into position. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Both Krej and Thraw nodded with malice in their eyes. Oroco grinned before he told Thraw that she was to help hunt animals tomorrow. While Thraw grumbled about her orders, mainly because Oroco had given that same order to her for the last four days, she didn't openly rebel against it. With that Oroco dismissed the two of them.

As both Thraw and Krej exited Oroco's room, Oroco sighed as he undressed for bed. So Zacyr was still alive . . . Oroco would have to observe both Lexa and Zacyr from a distance tomorrow. Oroco did _not_ want Lexa catching him doing something she didn't _want_ him to be doing, and Zacyr probably remembered how Oroco had ripped his back open, so he wouldn't want to talk to Oroco. Still, Oroco could only grin. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>So, back on track now.<p>

By the way, I am going to work on rewriting the beginning of the story. The main problem I have is that, when I start rewriting a story, I normally forget to stop.

Right now the current plan (going into effect RIGHT after I upload this chapter) is that I'm going to rewrite the first two chapters, then write the next chapter of the story, then rewrite chapters three and four, then make the next chapter of the story, and . . . well, you get the idea.

This way, even if I go a little overboard with the rewriting, the story WILL keep on moving. I'm planning on only rewriting the first ten chapters, but I know myself well enough to say that I may not stop . . . okay, _probably_ won't stop at that. Oh, and before I forget: I intend to make it so that important parts of the story will not change during the rewrite. Little, if any, new content will be added, although minor events may play out with slight differences. Instead I will work on really expanding on the content already there, just being more descriptive during certain events.

Oh, and by the way jel2658, that's not true. There's only . . . uh, hold on (Uses the find option on microsoft office to find total number of times I've used the word chuckle, or variations of the word chuckle, in this story) 167 times I've used the word ch

O_O Oh. I see what you mean. I'll see what I can do to get that number down.

Update:

Yeah, I've had one of those days before where my brain just refuses to wake up. _Anyways_, I've worked on the beginning some more in an attempt to help people remember Oroco.


	62. A Bump In The Night

Okay, so I've established that Kshtsi and Tachine are doing pretty well. But what about Zacyr? How's he doing?

* * *

><p>'<em>I am running away from home.'<em>

_That thought stopped me in my tracks. I had one foot in the forest as I turned my head to look at my house one last time. But I didn't have time to stay there for long. There was no telling what would happen now. I had to get away from my house, away from my village, and run as far and fast as possible. With that in my mind, I tore my gaze away from my home and continued into the forest, wiping away my tears._

_The searing pain that originated from the left side of my thigh only fueled my desire to get away. She may have been as shocked as I was, but it wouldn't be long before she was following my trail. If she catches up . . . I don't want to know what would happen! I have to get away! I can't let her catch up! She may be better at tracking than I am, but I know this forest better than she does. As such, I race towards the ocean._

_It's a long run, at least twenty minutes. Normally I could never run this far, but fear is a powerful motivator. The pain in my side is more than enough to remind me what would happen if I stopped running, what will happen if she catches up to me. I don't want that to happen again!_

_As I keep running, my thoughts are in a panic. What is this feeling I have? Is this fear? No, fear is too small a word. Even the word 'terror' doesn't justify the strength of this feeling. No word could._

_I thought I was afraid when I saw my hallucinations, years ago. I thought I felt horror when dad tricked me with the mice, when he traumatized me for years. But __**this**__ . . . nothing I've ever felt before comes close. At least the hallucinations weren't real, at least they couldn't hurt me! At least I could run to mom when dad betrayed me! But that's not an option anymore! __**What should I do!?**_

_No, focus! No one's going to help me anymore, not after what just happened! I just . . . I need to find a way to calm down! I need to figure out what to do!_

_That is when it comes into view, and I freeze in place. No, no __**NO! "MOM!"**_

_I can't believe it. She's dead. I'm not even sure how I know it's her. She's been torn apart. Blood is everywhere, and what remains of her head is lying about five feet away from her body. Before I can register the shock, what's left of her head suddenly turns to face me. A look of complete shock is on what remains of her face._

_No, it's not her. The one eye that's left is blinking. It's a hallucination. No one could blink when their head was decapitated. I slam my eyes shut as I charge through the clearing, not daring to open them again until I re-enter the trees. Oh man, that was a disturbing one! Now my __**hallucinations**__ are torturing me!? What the hell is going on!? WHY WON'T IT END!?_

_It's like a nightmare. I don't know what I can trust. Now some of the __**TREES**__ aren't real! I'm passing through some and slamming into others as I try to find my way through the forest I should know. But finally, __**finally**__, I make it to the ocean shore. Thank whatever god decided to have pity on me._

_**Join us**_

_What was that? I turn around, and my heart catches when I see __**HUNDREDS **__of spiders, some of them at least two feet tall, exiting the forest. Each one of them is giving me a terrifying grin as they close in on me._

"_Join us."_

_No, __**no!**__ "GET AWAY FROM ME!"_

_The spiders simply laugh. As they do, they start to clump up with each other, and before my horrified eyes they begin to change and combine. But they don't combine into a spider. I can only stare on horrified as their combined human form gives me a cruel grin. "M-mom?"_

_The thing that had once been my mother gives me a demonic grin before her mouth opens wide. Then it opens wider, wider than it should be able to, and she comes closer, her fangs growing longer and poison beginning to drip from them. I can't run, I can't move, my legs won't work! All I can do is stand there, and wait as my own mother comes closer, her only intention clear._

"_Do you know what you are? You are not my son. You are not a threat to me. __**YOU ARE MY"**_

Zacyr woke up almost immediately when he felt something touch him, and the only thing that stopped him from letting out a scream of terror was the hand firmly pressed against his mouth, which muffled the scream before it even began. Zacyr's panic-driven mind almost caused him to try to bite the hand, but a split-second recognition of whose hand it was stopped him cold.

It was Lexa. She still wore the cowl, and as Zacyr had learned to expect the only thing visible about Lexa was her mouth, which at the moment was formed into a slight frown. No matter how terrified Zacyr was, he wasn't about to bite her hand. But his panic-driven mind still forced him to react, and he almost desperately tried to grab her arm and push it away from his mouth. She was trying to suffocate him!

"Calm down."

That was when Zacyr realized what was _actually_ going on. His life wasn't about to end. Lexa had only covered his mouth because she had known Zacyr was going to scream when he woke up. And now that Zacyr felt the sweat pouring down his body, he realized it must have been quite obvious he had been having a nightmare. He must have woken her up.

Zacyr forced himself to take deep breaths through his nose, and he was rewarded with Lexa moving her hand away from Zacyr's mouth. Almost immediately Zacyr became ashamed at his momentary overreaction. That was the _second_ time he had gone into a panic around her! She must have thought he was a coward! Indeed, he saw a small smirk appear on Lexa's face, proof that she was highly amused. But as Zacyr tried to apologize, he was surprised when Lexa held up a hand for silence. "It doesn't matter."

While for a moment Zacyr thought he was safe, he immediately paled when two large fangs sprouted from Lexa's face, right above her mouth. Her lower cowl parted as she grew an abdomen, and Zacyr saw three large pairs of spider legs sticking out from underneath the cowl. Poor Zacyr only had time to flinch as Lexa ripped the covers off of Zacyr's bed. She didn't give him any time to react. Instead she grabbed Zacyr's arms and, with strength Zacyr couldn't hope to match, forced his arms to his sides.

Lexa moved fast, quite a bit faster than Zacyr thought she could. In mere _seconds_ she had catapulted herself onto the bed so she stood above Zacyr. Her middle pair of legs then pushed against Zacyr's, and in one fluid move she rolled off of the bed and onto the ground, her grip on Zacyr causing him to be dragged with. Now Lexa was holding Zacyr over herself, and as Zacyr saw Lexa's abdomen point up towards his hands Zacyr suddenly realized what was about to happen.

He struggled as much as he could, but it was no use. Zacyr couldn't break Lexa's hold on him. Lexa thrust her hips up, causing the spinneret on her abdomen to _just_ touch Zacyr's left knee. She immediately pulled the abdomen away, and Zacyr could only pale as he felt the slight tugging sensation caused by the webbing now attached to his leg.

Lexa shifted her hold on Zacyr, and soon Zacyr found himself spinning at a very high speed. He could only pale as he felt the webbing begin to wrap around him, quickly reaching his torso and pinning his arms to his sides. He still tried to fight it, but he already knew he was dead. Lexa was clearly experienced at wrapping up her prey. Every trick Zacyr tried only made his situation worse.

The first thing Zacyr tried was to get an explanation for why she was doing this. But almost the instant he opened his mouth, Lexa immediately shifted his head down towards her abdomen before wrapping his mouth shut. When he couldn't speak at all and he could only taste the webbing, Lexa went back to the spot she had left off and continued.

When Zacyr tried to whip his legs down towards Lexa, she didn't miss a beat. In fact, as Lexa forced Zacyr's legs bend farther backwards at the knee and he felt the silk attached to his upper legs stick to his lower legs, he realized Lexa had not only been _expecting_ him to try to kick her, she had _planned_ on it. Zacyr tried to un-stick his lower leg from his upper leg, but Lexa didn't give him a chance. In mere seconds his legs were completely encased in a thick layer of silk, so much that he knew he had no chance to free them.

About a minute later, Zacyr's body was entirely encased in a cocoon of silk. The only thing left free was his head and neck. But to his surprise, Lexa stopped cocooning him there. While Zacyr could only see her mouth, the rest of her face still shadowed by the cowl, he couldn't believe the expression he saw. Lexa didn't have a demonic grin on her face. It was much more subtle than that. She appeared to have only a slight frown as her cowl-covered head seemed to slowly nod. She must have been looking the silk cocoon over for any imperfections.

Zacyr was both confused and terrified. As he tried to figure out how to get out of this alive, Lexa suddenly turned her cowl-covered head back up to face Zacyr's. "I need to leave the building for a small amount of time, but you can't come with. This would be a _golden_ opportunity for an assassination."

It was like being struck with a bolt of lightning. Zacyr's life _wasn't_ about to end? Lexa gave a slight smirk as she continued to speak. "Cocooning you and putting you with my meals solves that problem."

That was all she said. As Zacyr breathed a sigh of relief, Lexa quickly wrapped up Zacyr's head, soon blocking his sight. From there, he felt Lexa lift his cocooned form up, and it wasn't long before they were moving. After about forty seconds, Zacyr felt his gravity shift before he felt the cocoon pressed against a hard surface. Had Lexa stuck him to the wall now? He wanted to know, but he still couldn't ask her because of the silk wrapped around his mouth. All he could do was listen to Lexa's footsteps as she walked away from the cocoon.

So this was a bluff to anyone trying to kill him? Despite the fact that he realized it was done for his safety, Zacyr couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Why hadn't Lexa just _told_ him that from the start? Did she _enjoy_ giving him a heart attack like that?

Not like it mattered. All he could do now was wait until she came back. But as a cold wind slipped through the silk cocoon, Zacyr shivered. Lexa _could_ have given him time to put on more clothes than just his underwear. While _yes_ no one would see him like this, it still felt embarrassing.

He waited like that for about two minutes before he suddenly heard noises to his left. From what he remembered of the room, they seemed to be coming from the window. It wasn't long before he heard a grunt, and Zacyr heard footsteps coming from that area towards him.

"Jetan?"

Zacyr flinched at the unexpected voice. It could have belonged to either a teenage boy or a teenage girl, but what got Zacyr's attention was the muffled yell from a cocoon somewhere to his right. He heard the footsteps immediately race past him, likely headed for that cocoon, and soon heard the sound of silk being cut.

"Jetan! Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."

What was going on? Was someone trying to free someone from a cocoon? After a few seconds, Zacyr heard a different voice - this one female - come from the area the cocoon must have been. While the words were spoken in a whisper, the speaker sounded quite frantic. "Tagen? What are you doing? If that abomination finds you here-"

"-hey, we're supposed to look out for each other. Did you figure out what happened to Demodo?"

While the name didn't mean anything to Zacyr, he soon started listening into the conversation when Jetan spoke next. "He was caught by Lexa. I don't know what gave him away, but I'm starting to think he may have given me away."

Zacyr heard Tagen curse before Tagen asked Jetan how she got caught, and was surprised at Jetan's answer. "I don't know. I was just walking through the streets when out of _nowhere_ that one beetle +Anima head-butted me in the stomach! He then cut the straps that held my disguise together, and it fell off! After that the huge fricken spider bitch appeared and wrapped me up, and . . . well, I've been here ever since."

'beetle +Anima'? Did this Jetan mean _Ryca_ attacked her? And she said something about a disguise . . . was Jetan a human spy? But this also brought up something else. Lexa had left the building at least once before when Zacyr was in it, and didn't even tell him. Was he really here to be defended, or did Lexa have something else in mind?

Still . . . Zacyr simply decided to listen to the conversation the two spies were having. It wasn't like he could do anything about them anyways, considering he was still wrapped up. For a bit of time, apparently while Tagen was still cutting Jetan free, the two of them continued to whisper to each other. During their conversation, Zacyr heard them mention another name - 'Enhid' - who they mentioned was a much stealthier spy. He also was amused to learn that Tagen _hated_ Enhid, claiming that Enhid was a jackass even when he wasn't disguised as one.

But what really got Zacyr's attention was what the two of them said later, when the conversation turned to Zacyr. Tagen almost immediately began speaking angrily. "The person that shot Ace? What about him?"

"He's being forced to live in this building with that, that _thing._"

"Ah. New plan. You get out of here Jetan, and I'll go kill him."

Zacyr couldn't believe what he had heard. From the shock in Jetan's voice, she didn't expect it either. "That's not what I'm getting at. He _saved_ some +Anima, and what thanks did he get? They locked him up with a monster!"

"And he deserves it for siding with these _things!_ He's a traitor to his own kind! We should kill him before he gets the chance to turn into one of these _freaks!_"

While the two of them quietly continued their argument, Zacyr stopped listening. So the human side _did_ hate him. Sure he had been _told_ that they would hate him for killing Ace, but now that he had undeniable _proof_ . . . but why? Zacyr felt so frustrated. How did he get caught in a warzone where _both_ sides wanted him dead?

After half a minute or so, Zacyr was brought back to the conversation when Jetan cut off mid-sentence. Tagen seemed just as confused. "Jetan? Are you alright? Why the hell are you pointing at me?"

Zacyr was so used to hearing the two of them whisper that he wasn't prepared for Jetan to shout out like she did. "_**SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!**_"

Zacyr could only grunt in pain from the sudden increase in volume, although he managed to catch what Tagen said next. "_What_-_**UGH!**_"

It was only when Zacyr heard a loud _thud_ that he realized what was going on. Lexa must have returned, and she just knocked out Tagen. Zacyr heard Jetan's voice hit an octave he wasn't certain was _possible_, and from the sound of it she was scrambling to get away from Lexa. "_**OH GOD NO! NO! PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! STAY AWAY FROM ME!**_"

Zacyr's skin began to crawl when he heard a cruel chuckle from Lexa, and he heard Jetan frantically scramble to get to the door of the room. But to his surprise Lexa simply continued walking over to Jetan. If she kept going at such a slow speed, she'd never catch Jetan. Why wasn't she giving chase?

The answer came to him when he heard the doorknob rattle frantically. "_L-locked!? No! Open! __**OPEN! PLEASE! I don't want to die!**_"

Zacyr could only cringe when Jetan screamed. It was a loud scream that almost tore Zacyr's eardrums in half, but was abruptly cut off with a loud _thud_. Had Lexa knocked her out too? Well, she _must _have. The only other possible explanation was that the thud was actually Zacyr's eardrums bursting from overuse, but while the decibel of the scream was quite large, Zacyr's ears were only ringing.

Eventually Zacyr felt the cocoon move, and to his surprise a hand slipped through the sticky silk and into view. Strangely, the silk didn't seem to stick to the hand. With a grunt, the hand moved downwards, forcing the cocoon apart, and soon Zacyr tumbled out of the remains of the cocoon and onto the ground.

If Lexa hadn't caught Zacyr during the tumble, his face would have slammed into the ground. As Lexa let him down, Zacyr mumbled a 'thanks'. However, Lexa focused on him. "Jetan and Tagen here are spies. I knew quite well that Tagen would come to free Jetan the instant I was out of sight. But did you hear them name off any other spies?"

It took Zacyr a few seconds before he remembered what Tagen had said. "Tagen mentioned a person named Enhid. In specific, he called Enhid a jackass even when he wasn't pretending to be one."

Now Zacyr knew what was going on. He had pretty much figured out just from Lexa going through the trouble of cocooning him and putting him in that position to hear them that she was hoping they'd unintentionally rat out a fellow spy. But he didn't expect the brilliant smile that soon radiated from under Lexa's hood. "Enhid, I remember him. But this says a lot more about the human spies than you may think, Zacyr."

While Zacyr flinched, Lexa continued speaking. "Jetan was described as a 'bitch', and she pretended she was a female dog +Anima. Now here is a jackass disguised as a donkey +Anima. Their +Anima disguise is being determined by their personalities. Zacyr, I have to go for a little bit longer and pay Enhid a visit. But this time"

"_**She-AH-LA-LA-LA-LA!"**_

Zacyr must have jumped a foot high when the door of the room was blasted off of its hinges. As the door flew past him - very narrowly missing his face - Zacyr quickly tried to identify the culprit.

He wasn't prepared to see the bizarre creature standing in the doorway. Oh, he knew it was a +Anima. That was obvious from the shirt the creature wore and the clear sentience of the creature. But Zacyr himself had never seen this kind of creature before. It was a bipedal mammal-like creature with a tail that was longer than its legs. The +Anima's fur was a strange red-brownish color, and covered their entire body. The head of the creature was completely alien to Zacyr, as were the small arms. But most bizarre of all was the strange flap of skin that was connected to the creature's stomach. It appeared to work as a way to store things, and this +Anima's . . . 'pouch', for lack of a better term, was near ready to burst.

The creature currently had both of its feet stretched out in front of it, and was balancing on its tail. So it had kicked the door in? As Zacyr tried to figure it out the creature brought its legs back over by its body, and leaned forwards to allow their legs to hold their body up. Once it was on its feet - which seemed to be coiled up in a way that told Zacyr the creature mainly jumped around - the creature then looked at Zacyr. When it laughed, its voice was unmistakably female. "What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a kangaroo before?"

Poor Zacyr could only shake his head no. He had never even _heard_ of a cane-gar-oo before. The +Anima laughed, but before she could say anything more Lexa suddenly spoke up, sounding greatly annoyed. "What have I told you about breaking my doors, _Jill?_"

So this +Anima's name was Jill? While Zacyr did store that into his memory, he was startled when Jill immediately put her short hands as close to her hips as she could. "Ex-_cuse_ me? They call me _Doctor Roo!_ What have _I_ told _you_ about using my first name, _Widowmaker?_"

By this time when Lexa spoke, Zacyr had no doubt that she was pissed off. While Lexa wasn't flying into a rage, her voice was laced with such a deadly poison that Zacyr found himself wondering whether just hearing it could actually prove fatal to him. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? If you are, you're doing a _fantastic_ job at it."

At this point, Zacyr was pretty certain that Jill . . . or Doctor Roo, as she wanted to be called, would stop pushing her luck with Lexa. So when Doctor Roo simply smirked at Lexa, well . . . Zacyr couldn't have been more shocked if Lexa had just kissed Zacyr full on the mouth. "You want to fight me Lexa? You know, we never _did_ get to finish that fight. It was a pity too, considering that I was winning."

As Zacyr reeled in shock, Lexa startled him even more when she chuckled in response. "I'll admit that I wasn't winning, but I wasn't losing either. And I already said that I will have a rematch with you any time you want, Jill."

Zacyr could only cock his head in his confusion, but Doctor Roo chuckled. "I'd love too, but ever since Joey's entered my life, I don't have the time to fight."

Zacyr almost wanted to scream in frustration. _What was going on!? _Fortunately for him, Lexa soon addressed him with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Apologies Zacyr. As I said before, I need to go find Enhid and . . . invite him to dinner, I suppose you could say. But I can't bring you with, and as small a chance as there is for someone to try an assassination attempt, the chance is still there. As such-"

Zacyr flinched when Doctor Roo suddenly interrupted. "By the way, nice underwear Zacyr."

The comment immediately got Zacyr's face to practically glow red. He really didn't know how to respond to that, but fortunately for him Lexa spoke up. "And unless you want to be put in the cocoon again, Doctor Roo will be guarding you for that time."

What? Zacyr looked back at Lexa, but Lexa had returned her attention to Doctor Roo. "Before I go, how _is_ Joey anyways?"

Zacyr immediately looked at Doctor Roo when he heard her chuckle. He was wondering who Joey was, and if this meant Joey would be watching Zacyr too, when the answer to both of his questions suddenly poked his head out of the pouch on Doctor Roo's stomach.

Zacyr couldn't help but smile when Joey looked wide-eyed at Lexa. It wasn't long before Joey noticed Zacyr, and stared at him with Joey's big brown eyes. While Zacyr gave a kind smile, he was surprised and embarrassed when Joey quickly lowered his head back into Doctor Roo's pouch, the only sign of him having been there at all being the mess of red hair just visible from within the pouch. Doctor Roo laughed before she rubbed a hand against that hair, speaking tenderly to the young toddler.

Lexa laughed as she noted that Joey was clearly still timid, and Doctor Roo nodded to that. "He'll sometimes poke his head out every now and then, but normally only for food and water, or if he wants to be held. I'm going to try teaching him how to walk tomorrow. Little Joey's starting to grow a too big for me to carry inside my pouch. Anyways Lexa, how's your son doing these days?"

The unexpected question got Zacyr to jump. Was Doctor Roo actually saying that _Lexa_ had a child!? While sure Zacyr had no right to say whether Lexa could have a child, it seemed a bit . . . uh, how would he word it . . . he just couldn't see who the father would have been. Lexa snapped Zacyr out of his thoughts when she put a gentle hand on Zacyr's shoulder. "I'm quite proud of the young man my son has grown up to be."

That was it. Lexa soon removed her hand from Zacyr's shoulder and walked out the door. Poor Zacyr was so confused. He was taken out of his thoughts again when Doctor Roo spoke to him. "You don't look like you knew that."

He could only shake his head no in response. "I-I had no _idea_ she had a son. I . . . sorry, I'm trying to imagine what he could _possibly_ be like."

It was only when Doctor Roo laughed that Zacyr realized he was missing something. Fortunately for him, Doctor Roo soon grinned at him teasingly. "Here's a hint. You know him pretty well, actually. Anyways, let's leave this room. It gives me the creeps to be in a room with Lexa's future meals lining the walls."

Zacyr quickly agreed with that, and he soon followed behind Doctor Roo as she hopped over to the doorway. Once they left the room, Zacyr made for the stairs, but was surprised when Doctor Roo stopped him. As he looked at her, Doctor Roo nodded over to a specific room on the first floor. "Follow me."

Without waiting for his answer Doctor Roo hopped over to that room in specific and opened the door. As Zacyr walked up to that room, he was surprised at what he saw. Well actually, it was more at what he _didn't_ see. There was practically nothing in this room but a simple wooden chair and an oil lamp. While he did ask Doctor Roo about it, Doctor Roo simply insisted for Zacyr to enter the room, so he complied.

Once he was in the room Doctor Roo hopped in behind him before closing the door, then surprising Zacyr when she locked it. After everything so far that had happened since he had woken up, Zacyr felt himself brace for another bizarre situation, but Doctor Roo got him by surprise when she smiled at him. "You're thinking too much about it. This is just so we aren't interrupted."

After lighting the oil lamp, Doctor Roo sighed and addressed Zacyr. "Now as you already know, I call myself Doctor Roo. That's not just a name though, it's also my occupation. While I'm watching you Zacyr, I also want to evaluate your current health. Think of it like a check-up."

Oh. Zacyr frowned at the unexpected news, but he eventually nodded in agreement. Doctor Roo then grinned at Zacyr, and Zacyr was once again reminded of the fact that he was _still_ only in his underwear. He tried to explain, but Doctor Roo cut him off. "This _includes_ a full physical check-up."

When Zacyr cocked his head to the side Doctor Roo grinned at him. "In order to do that, I'm going to need you to do something for me. Do you want the long explanation, or the short one?"

It wasn't long before Zacyr decided on the short explanation, and he couldn't have been more startled when Doctor Roo shook her head, clearly trying not to laugh. While Zacyr was about to ask what was so funny, Doctor Roo suddenly spoke up again. "Undress."

Poor Zacyr could only blush furiously. "What? I'm practically naked already, isn't this enough?"

As he tried to talk his way out of it, Doctor Roo grinned and shook her head. "I'll never understand why this is so difficult for people to do. Zacyr, it's not like I haven't seen a guy naked before. Here's my proof."

At this Doctor Roo reached into her pouch, and Zacyr just saw Joey's red hair pop out of the pouch before Joey squirmed out of Doctor Roo's grasp and re-hid himself inside the pouch. Doctor Roo laughed before she addressed Zacyr again. "Come on, we're the only people here and I've already locked the door. All you're doing is making it take longer."

She had a point. Zacyr had to give her that. Still, he felt his face practically burn in shame as he reached for his underwear, and a few seconds later he was standing there completely naked. While he tried to cover his groin with his hands, he could only blush more as Doctor Roo wagged her finger 'no'. It took a lot of effort to get his hands to hang limply at his sides, but he was surprised when Doctor Roo hopped over to him. As she moved his left hand back gently, Zacyr could only blush more.

"_Ouch_. How did _that_ happen?"

Zacyr immediately looked down at her, and flinched as Doctor Roo tapped his left thigh. When Zacyr looked down at where she was pointing, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He almost forgot about Doctor Roo being there as he looked at the thick scar on his left thigh. He could only think about the nightmare that he had had. Hadn't he gotten an injury to his thigh? Yeah, and this scar . . . it was in the _exact_ same spot that had been hurting in the dream!

"Well?"

Zacyr snapped back to reality for a little bit, and saw Doctor Roo looking at him expectantly. It took him a few seconds to remember that she had asked how the scar happened, and Zacyr felt himself blush slightly. "I don't remember."

It _was_ the truth. He just couldn't remember. The fact that the dream referenced it possibly meant nothing, although that seemed strange to him. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Doctor Roo changed the subject. "You must be somewhere around thirteen years old, right Zacyr?"

While Doctor Roo worded it as a question, she stated it like a fact. Zacyr was almost impressed, considering that she was right. While Doctor Roo didn't elaborate, she went to let go of Zacyr's hand, but suddenly stopped and looked at the palm of his hand, which showed the large scar Zacyr had gotten from Kshtsi's tentacle. Zacyr couldn't help the grin that came to his face when he thought about that.

While she casually inspected it, Doctor Roo soon declared that it was healing nicely. She soon moved on from them, and started unwrapping the bandages around Zacyr's torso, which had been put there earlier when Oroco had ripped Zacyr's back open. But the first thing Zacyr thought about was the spots that his extra arms had been. How would he explain

That was when the bandages fell away, and Zacyr could only stare in shock at the smooth and unblemished skin that was now where the wounds his extra arms had left behind _should_ have been. He was so startled by that, it took Doctor Roo putting something wet against his back before Zacyr realized she was speaking.

"_Ugh_, Oroco and his impulsiveness. It's a good thing I'm examining you: the wound here wasn't properly bandaged. While it was only like that for a small amount, I'm not taking any chances. This here will help clear out any possible contamination from the wounds."

Zacyr forced himself to stay still while she continued to lather the liquid on his back, apparently using a rag or something similar to that. Once she had covered the wounds, Zacyr was surprised as she re-bandaged his back at a very impressive speed.

After she looked him over some more, Zacyr was surprised when she stated she only wanted to check one more thing before she was done. While he agreed, he was still deeply startled when Doctor Roo hopped back to his front and stared directly at Zacyr's groin. While he blushed, he heard Doctor Roo mumbling to herself. After a few seconds of her making notes, she told Zacyr that he could put back on his underwear again.

Zacyr sighed in relief, but as he reached for his underwear Doctor Roo spoke up again. "You do have a _nasty_ bruise to your groin though. Sarysi's doing?"

Zacyr flinched, but almost immediately remembered how Sarysi had awoken him a few nights ago, by slamming her scorpion claw into his groin. That must have been the cause. When Doctor Roo started laughing Zacyr suddenly was aware he was blushing again. He hurriedly put back on his underwear, and eventually Doctor Roo spoke again. "I'm going to take that blush as a 'yes'. _Moving on_."

At this Doctor Roo leapt away from Zacyr a bit, and soon told Zacyr he could sit in a chair for this next part. Zacyr complied, and soon Doctor Roo was standing about five feet away from him. "So, you've passed the physical examination. Next up, I want to ask you about something."

Zacyr cocked his head, but told Doctor Roo that she could continue. With a quick nod to him, Doctor Roo complied. "Ryca has told us about you seeing things that aren't real. Is that under control?"

While Zacyr was going to say 'yes', he suddenly realized something. He had no idea when he had taken that medicine that was supposed to work for a week! Let's see . . . it was still working, so his time wasn't up yet . . . but it must have been close now. He had grown so used to just taking a Lihalune a day that he just didn't think about keeping track of the number of days since he had taken the medicine.

And yet again, the very thought of Lihalune brought conflicting thoughts to Zacyr's head. They weren't as strong as they used to be, though. As the lady who had first given him Lihalune had said, it was only a mild addiction compared to what it could have been. Still . . . at least taking Lihalune wasn't as difficult as this new medicine he was taking was. _God_ that taste was revolting . . .

Wait, he had to focus. He explained to Doctor Roo about how he was using the potion to keep from seeing his hallucinations, although when she asked him for the name of his new potion Zacyr admitted that he didn't know. Doctor Roo got him to blush when she raised an eyebrow. "No offense Zacyr, but doesn't it seem _important_ to know what you're drinking?"

Zacyr could only blush as he looked the other way. "Hey now, I had something else on my mind at that time."

That of course was him trying to work past his addiction, but he didn't want to say that. When Doctor Roo asked her next question, Zacyr almost felt his heart drop down to his stomach. "Was there anything else you were using before that?"

While he could have lied, Zacyr didn't feel right about doing that. After all, Doctor Roo was only trying to help. He almost _had_ to tell her the truth so she _could_ help. As such Zacyr explained to her how he had initially taken Lihalune. He tried to make it sound like he didn't miss it, but if he was honest with himself . . . at least Lihalune didn't have a god-awful taste.

As Doctor Roo looked at Zacyr, obviously surprised at the fact that he had taken something like Lihalune, Zacyr felt like he had to explain. "I didn't know everything about Lihalune when I started taking it. I didn't realize it was a poison, and I had no idea it could be used as a torture device. I-"

It was his turn to be surprised when Doctor Roo held up a hand to silence him. "First off, I'm well acquainted with the effects of Lihalune, and the complete aversion to it that many +Anima have. And to be honest, it doesn't deserve the reputation as a 'poison'."

With a sigh Doctor Roo looked at the oil lamp. "Many of the negative effects are easily avoided by someone who is careful. While _yes_, having too much can kill you, that fact is true about _anything_. Lihalune just has a much lower 'cap' than most other liquids. As for the full moon effect, all you have to do to avoid that is to avoid drinking it before the night of a full moon. Even _there_, there is some leeway. If you do happen to take it by accident, you only have to stay in a position where you aren't hit directly by light from the moon. It's activated purely by the light of the full moon, so in the right areas that can _easily_ be averted."

Doctor Roo sighed again, but then gave a slight smile towards Zacyr. "In fact, something tells me that the only reason you're _not_ taking it is because Sarysi won't let you do so."

Zacyr nodded without even realizing it. In fact, when he _did_ finally realize what he had done, he almost immediately shook his head no. "N-no, it's not . . . I mean, it's still supposed to be bad. She mentioned that the full moon effect was the sole reason she never tried to escape from the +Anima fight ring, because she was too afraid of it. And I only took two vials at one point and it almost killed me."

Doctor Roo raised an eyebrow, but to Zacyr's surprise Doctor Roo let the subject drop. "Alright, I'll stop pestering you about it for the moment. I still _do_ want to keep this short. Those huge circles under your eyes tell the story of a person who _needs_ to get more sleep."

Zacyr could only yawn in agreement. Still, he also mumbled under his breath about how it wouldn't do a whole lot for him. He wasn't looking forwards to seeing yet another nightmare. But when he focused again, he was surprised to find Doctor Roo looking at him with a _very_ interested look on her face. "'Not like it will do much'? Why is that?"

Zacyr didn't want to talk about his nightmares. He didn't like the fact that he was getting them so consistently, that he had barely had a single night that he hadn't had one of his nightmares. Indeed, he had already come to accept that he would be seeing these nightmares. While he did feel a slight hope that Doctor Roo could help him with them, his own discomfort at the idea of explaining the nightmares to Doctor Roo kept him from wanting to say it.

But while he _tried_ to keep himself from speaking about them, Doctor Roo refused to let the subject drop. If Zacyr hadn't been so uncomfortable, maybe he would have noticed the sheer skill Doctor Roo showed with her next trick. In fact, he didn't know how she did it. All he knew was that she got him to admit that he was seeing nightmares almost every night, and she got him to do so in just under half a minute of gentle persuasion.

But what surprised him the most was just how _good_ it felt to finally tell someone about his nightmares. While yes Sarysi, Tachine, and Kshtsi all knew about Zacyr being plagued with nightmares, he had never worked up the nerve to explain how the nightmares always had to do with him, his mother, and spiders. He had never told them how each time, he heard those words again. 'Do you know what you are? You are not my friend. You are not a threat to me. _You are my __**prey!**_'

For her part, Doctor Roo listened with a patience Zacyr didn't expect her to have. She seemed _very_ interested in how, in every single one of the nightmares, he ended up being consumed by a spider in some way. Even the newest one ended with him about to be eaten. And finally, when Zacyr revealed that the scar on his thigh actually appeared in the same spot he was injured in the dream, Doctor Roo seemed to grin.

After he had given her the basics of his nightmares, Doctor Roo asked what Zacyr thought his dreams meant. While he explained that he was starting to wonder if it was his mind trying to warn him about something, Doctor Roo gently shook her head with a kind smile. "It's an alright theory, but I believe it may mean something else. In my experience, a nightmare often targets fears and insecurities that the dreamer has. Now Zacyr"

At this, Doctor Roo shifted her position slightly before she continued, leaning forwards to put her face closer to Zacyr's. "Let me explain what I've learned about you _solely_ because I've heard your nightmares. Number one, and the most obvious one, is that you have a very intense fear of spiders. But why are you afraid of them? That is answered by the words you hear in every one of your nightmares. specifically, 'you are my prey'. It seems to me that you keep seeing spiders as a predator, and you keep seeing yourself as prey."

Doctor Roo shifted her position again, this time leaning back a little bit. "But what surprises me most is that you keep seeing your mother in these nightmares. Zacyr . . . I think what you truly want to do is to find out what happened to her, am I right?"

Zacyr was completely startled, but responded almost immediately. "Of _course_ I do! I"

While he was willing to go on and explain why, Doctor Roo cut him off. "What is more, you're worried about not only what happened to _her_, but what she thinks about you. You mentioned that in one dream, she was delighted to see you. In another, she was terrified. And in the most recent one, she was hunting you down while you tried to avoid her. It seems to me that you don't _know_ what her current opinion of you is, and you are almost desperate to know the answer."

Zacyr nodded. It was a subconscious act, but that didn't make it any less honest. While he thought Doctor Roo had reached the last thing she had gotten from the dreams, to his surprise she continued to speak. "Now, I could tell you every last thing I've learned from what you've told me, but that would take _hours_. And while it's quite clear that you're interested in this, you also are _exhausted_, and the nightmares aren't helping that at all. Still, let me ask you one more question about your dreams."

For a bit Zacyr waited patiently for Doctor Roo to ask the question. But after almost ten seconds had passed, he suddenly realized she was waiting for an 'okay', so he gave her one.

"Doesn't it seem odd that, just three nights after you stop taking Lihalune, you suddenly find yourself plagued by these nightmares?"

She may as well have hit Zacyr with a sledgehammer. He quickly thought about when he stopped taking Lihalune, and to his complete shock he found that Doctor Roo was _right_. Exactly three nights after he had last taken Lihalune, he had had his first nightmare. But . . . "H-how did you know? _I_ didn't even notice that until I just thought about it! I never told you when I stopped taking Lihalune, _nor_ did I tell you when the nightmares started. How did you . . ."

Doctor Roo gave Zacyr a sad smile. "My guess is that your nightmares had a trigger. You said you had amnesia, right? Well, some time before you stopped taking Lihalune you must have learned something about your past that you didn't want to hear. _That_ was the trigger. So why didn't you start getting nightmares from that night onwards? It's a very simple answer Zacyr. You didn't start having nightmares because the Lihalune in your system was _preventing_ them."

The fact couldn't have been more unexpected. Zacyr could only stare dumbstruck at Doctor Roo for quite a bit of time, and during that time Doctor Roo sighed. "So what does that tell us? You see things that aren't there, you are plagued with nightmares so severe that they're affecting your ability to sleep, and you are in no position to go anywhere to buy any medicine. Lihalune suppresses hallucinations, prevents you from having any dreams while under its effects, and is so easy to make that I wouldn't even _charge_ you for it."

Zacyr could only stare in shock as Doctor Roo reached into her pouch and grabbed out a bottle of Lihalune. "Of course, the choice is yours. It's not mine and it's not Sarysi's. It's _yours._"

Poor Zacyr was torn. On one hand, he remembered how just taking two doses at once had nearly killed him and he remembered how adamant Sarysi was that Zacyr should not take it. But on the other hand . . . it had worked so _well_ once it finally had started to work. And while he knew it was partly because of his addiction to it . . . he _wanted_ it. What was more, the Full Moon Effect, while supposedly terrible, would be so easy to avoid . . .

Zacyr gulped. He tried to not think about what Sarysi would say as he held out a shaking hand. Doctor Roo gave Zacyr a sad smile as she gently placed the vial in Zacyr's grasp. It seemed to take forever for Zacyr, but he eventually got the cap of the vial off. This was it. There was no going back now.

He brought the vial to his lips and tilted his head back. The liquid splashed into his mouth, and it wasn't long before he allowed the liquid to drain down his throat. He repeated this once before he took the now-empty vial away from his lips. And as he let Doctor Roo take the vial away from him, Zacyr thought about his choice. How would he _ever_ manage to explain this to Sarysi?

Doctor Roo only smiled at Zacyr, which while it was comforting to him, didn't really help the problem. "There. It should start kicking in after about an hour. I'll come back tomorrow, probably around sunset, and give you another one. And remember: it's not Sarysi's business to tell you that you can't take it. If she doesn't bring it up, you don't have to tell her."

Zacyr sighed, but he was surprised when he heard the front door open. As both Doctor Roo and Zacyr listened, they heard a muffled shouting that slowly made its way over to Lexa's . . . 'storage' room. Once they heard it enter that room, Doctor Roo sighed. "Well, sounds like Lexa's got her target. You can go back to your room any time you want to Zacyr."

With that Doctor Roo hopped over to the door and unlocked it. Once she left, Zacyr was surprised when she let the door close silently behind her. Did she realize Zacyr wasn't going to go back to bed just yet? So he simply sat in the chair for a bit of time, trying to force his tired and stressed mind to make sense of everything he had learned and done. Unfortunately for him, his mind just couldn't keep up at the moment. After about five or so minutes of struggling to force his mind to make sense of everything, Zacyr decided to just let it wait until tomorrow.

With that in mind Zacyr moved to get up. However, he soon involuntarily doubled over as his stomach abruptly screamed in pain. The pain lingered for almost a minute, during which time Zacyr let himself sit back down in the chair, panting and sweating. _What the hell was that?_

He hadn't felt that since . . . oh, right. He remembered now, this was _exactly_ what he felt when he had first taken Lihalune. He hadn't taken into account that there had been no more Lihalune in his system. Tomorrow was probably going to be a repeat of the first day he had taken Lihalune then? Oh, this was going to be f-

Zacyr grunted as his stomach again shouted at him. While it wasn't half as strong as the first one, it was still enough to make him cringe. Eventually he decided to just sit there as his stomach slowly began to settle. Now how the hell was he going to sleep through this?

He would never know the answer. Indeed, when Lexa opened the door to the room about a half-hour after attaching Enhid, she was very amused to see Zacyr's sleeping form slouched on the chair. As she casually picked up Zacyr and put him over her shoulder, she chuckled. "It's been a very tiring night. But a bed would get you better sleep."

With that she left the room, carrying Zacyr with her.

* * *

><p>Oh, you didn't think Lihalune was out of the picture, did you?<p>

*Update 10/8/12*

Yeah, that was supposed to be 'bed'. Thanks for catching that, I've fixed it now.

And yeah, Joey IS cute :)


	63. The Star Gazer

Alright, let's get this party started.

I know I do have a LOT of characters introduced, so here's my current plan. I'm going to re-introduce characters important _at the moment _ and try to take attention off of unimportant characters. Let me know if this works or not, please :)

* * *

><p>Ameru sat on his bed, a knife in his hand. What should he do?<p>

On the one hand, he felt like he had really made a big leap today, trying to help Mina with hunting. While she had quickly told everyone how Ameru had fled from the +Anima, he had _tried_ to fight them. Sure he had failed like he normally did, but . . . he had tried, didn't he? He _could_ have done something amazing, if he hadn't been so useless at least.

But of course, it was the other hand that had quite a bit more evidence. No one liked him at all. Even his parents had abandoned him long ago. And from his own understanding, he couldn't have felt any worse. No matter what he thought to himself about his fight with the hyena +Anima, Ameru blew it, just like he always did. It never mattered what he tried, he never could succeed. No one took him seriously. Hell, the only person that _had_ cared, Ace, died just earlier today.

Maybe they would remember him when he was gone. At least Ameru knew two people who were dead who actually cared, he guessed that was something to look forwards too. Maybe . . . he looked at the knife, pondering his next move almost casually.

Eventually Ameru put his knife away. He had been having this argument with himself a lot lately. Normally it wasn't his choice whether to go through with it or not. Normally an arrow would fly through the window and knock the knife out of Ameru's hand, and Ameru would find Ace racing towards Ameru's room. Ameru was always appreciative of that, he guessed. Ace always had tried his damnedest to cheer Ameru up, but . . . ugh, Ameru had to stop thinking about it.

He got up and made to undress for bed, but he jumped when he heard a voice at the door. "Ameru, Elerad wants to see you."

Ameru could almost feel his heart stop. But all he said was 'okay', and he soon got to his feet. So the human leader had gotten irritated at Ameru's actions? He guessed that he couldn't blame Elerad. Ameru seemed to irritate a whole lot of people.

He left his building, and looked up at the stars for a bit. He felt a slight grin come to his face as he remembered how, years ago, he had made a habit of watching the stars. There were so many of them, all of them part of a vast crowd. That was what he wanted to be. He could take not being the center of attention. Ameru didn't want to be better than other people. He just wanted to be able to look at his life and to say that he felt like he was where he wanted to be.

But he frowned as he saw a star shoot across the sky. Of course he knew why it was the only star moving. It hadn't found a place to stop. The other stars were forcing it to flee for its life, and as the moving star suddenly vanished Ameru shuddered. It had just died, snuffed out like the flame on a candle.

Eventually Ameru composed himself and continued on his way to Elerad's building. It wasn't a long walk, but halfway there he was surprised when he saw Mina walking the streets. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face as he hurried to catch up to her.

His reasoning was simple. He knew what he wanted, he wanted to know someone cared about him. Now how would he do that? He had to get a girl to like him. He remembered what it was like when Emily had hanged around him, he remembered how _good_ it had felt to have been needed. But of course . . . Emily had died. Ameru knew she wouldn't have been offended that Ameru was trying to look for someone else, he just knew it. She wasn't that type of person.

As such Ameru walked up to Mina and tried to start a conversation. Unfortunately for Ameru, it was the same mistake he always made. He chose one of the hundreds of pick-up lines that he had thought up. He just couldn't get himself to understand that, well . . . not all girls _liked_ that kind of stuff like Emily did. All it earned him was a slap to the face, and Mina stormed away from him fuming in anger. Ameru groaned as he rubbed the side of his face. While normally he would just have tried again, he didn't have the time. Elerad was still waiting to speak to Ameru. As such, Ameru continued on his way.

Soon he was standing in front of a large multi-leveled building. From his understanding, it was a large mansion that had once belonged to a noblewoman who was now dead. Ameru tried to make himself as presentable as he could, after all this was the very _leader_ of the human side he was going to be talking to. He eventually entered the building after taking a _very_ deep breath of air, half-convinced it was going to be his last.

"_There_ you are Ameru!"

Just like always, Ameru flinched when he saw Elerad. He just didn't know what to say, no matter how many times he saw Elerad he just never got used to it. Just like always, the young-ish man named Elerad wore no shirt, instead hanging a bundle of strange white rope around his lower torso. He let his six-pack show almost proudly, and wore a simple pair of leather shorts underneath it. If Ameru was quite honest with himself, he may have been a bit jealous of Elerad. The mess of short white hair on Elerad's head couldn't hide the handsome face underneath it, nor could it hide the two kind red eyes that were practically glowing with amusement as Ameru walked in the building.

As always, there were four other people in the room. They were Elerad's 'ghosts', all of them handpicked by Elerad because of their own impressive skills at . . . well, just about everything. They were only sent in when something _had_ to be done, and it had to be done both quickly and silently. Each 'ghost' wore the same white full-body suit, which Ameru had once heard from Ace were actually tailored by Elerad himself. The ghosts were all currently leaning against the wall next to the chair Elerad sat in, each one with their arms folded over their chest.

But what Ameru focused on at the moment was Elerad. "Y-you summoned me, sir?"

Elerad laughed before he addressed Ameru, his eyes ablaze with amusement. "Oh, there's no need to be so formal! Call me Elerad. Anyways"

At this Elerad got out of his chair and began walking towards Ameru. Once he got over to Ameru, he surprised Ameru by laying a gentle yet muscular hand on Ameru's shoulder. "I've wanted to talk to you the entire day. Do you remember what I asked you on your first day here?"

Ameru at first shook his head, but he blushed furiously as Elerad spoke. "I asked you what you were good at, and all I got out of you was a 'nothing'. It's been around two months now, and while I _know_ you have been trying Ameru, I think it's about time we find something you're good at. I say that you should try your hand as a guard."

_That _got a reaction out of Ameru, and even the ghosts behind Elerad flinched. However, Elerad paid them no mind. "And I apologize Ameru, but I've given you _plenty_ of time to think about it, so I won't be persuaded otherwise. Come with me."

Elerad walked towards a room in the building, and a timid Ameru followed behind him. It wasn't long before Elerad and Ameru entered a nearby room, and Elerad opened up a large map. Ameru walked over to look at it, and Elerad pointed to a large building on the map. "This is where we are. Over here"

At this Elerad pointed to a building close by the one they were in, and Ameru recognized it as the building they used as a warehouse for food. "We have one guard on duty here all the time. Fights here are rare, and most people desperate for food tend to be either too round to be much of a fighter or too weak to put up a fight. It would be an excellent place for you to start getting used to the concept of being a guard."

Ameru blushed furiously as he turned his head. "All it would take is one hot girl to get past me."

He was surprised again when Elerad grinned at him. "Hot girls don't tend to get that way unless they control the urge to eat. If it really comes down to it, that's why you won't be put on the job all by your lonesome for the first few days. You guard the outside, and the guard on the inside deals with anyone who gets past."

Ameru thought about it. All in all . . . he guessed that, even when he did screw up (having learned a long time ago that it was _never_ an 'if'), at least it wouldn't be a huge loss. "O-okay. But . . . who would be the inside guard?"

Elerad shrugged. "Let's put it this way. He's an overconfident jackass. Only got here about . . . five days ago. Or was it three? Whatever, the only reason he has the job is because he thinks it's important and we're letting him think that. _Either way_, I think you'll even him out a bit. He's overconfident, you're underconfident."

Ameru blushed, but Elerad smiled at him before telling him to report to the warehouse tomorrow after he woke up. While Ameru did ask what time he should be there, Elerad surprised him by saying whenever he got up. "Honestly Ameru, it's a _warehouse_. I don't care if you're not there directly at sunrise."

It wasn't long before Ameru left Elerad's building, still confused about the whole thing. Why a _guard_? Hadn't he already proven today that he would be no good at the job? It felt to him more that Elerad was getting desperate, and simply forcing Ameru to take one of the very few jobs he hadn't tried already.

Ameru was taken out of his thoughts when something flew past his face and embedded itself into the ground directly at Ameru's feet. The first thing he did was turn around and look for whoever threw it, but when he couldn't find anyone he went to the object and looked at it.

He was surprised to find it was a stone, but it was a stone he had never seen before. It was very small, and was almost the same color as the moon. It was only then that Ameru looked up at the sky in shock. Was this the remains of one of those moving stars? While Ameru toyed with the idea of picking it up, he ultimately decided not to. It just felt wrong to move the star after it had finally found a place to rest, although Ameru did gently cover it up with dirt. That just felt like the right thing to do, so other people wouldn't disturb its resting place.

* * *

><p>I tried to really get in Ameru's head in this chapter. I know it's been a while since I wrote about the human side, but this one was necessary.<p>

And if you don't ever remember Elerad, there's a perfectly good reason: he was introduced in this chapter. I felt like it was time you learned who was leading the human side.


	64. A Brand New Day

Hello again!

I've stopped working on rewriting the story for now. It's a good idea, but I just want the story to actually _continue_ for right now.

I do have to admit that this chapter isn't one of my best works, at least in my eyes, but I'm kind of excited to get the story moving, so . . . well, in all honesty, screw it.

* * *

><p><em>"I was wondering if you'd come."<em>

_I smiled as I sat down at the table, looking at the cutie on the other side of the table. We both kept our voices down. His parents had no idea I was in the mansion, and it would be a __**bad**__ thing for me to get caught. "Of course I'd come, I told you that I'd never break a promise."_

_The boy smiled as he handed me a large bottle of sake. I took it eagerly, looking at the boy with almost joy. "__**Really?**__ I-I know I said I wanted sake, but . . . you know, I thought it was a __**joke!**__ You __**really**__ brought some for me?"_

_The boy laughed at my joy before nodding at me. Without a second thought I took the bottle and took a big swig of it. This was great! "Thank you so much!"_

_Yet again the boy smiled, absentmindedly wiping the dirt off of his nice shirt. I still couldn't believe that the son of a __**noble**__ was sitting with me in his own __**mansion**__. Damn, if I hadn't thought to rob this mansion and just happen to run into this little cutie . . . a-and he wasn't even __**mad!**__ I again apologized for how we met, and yet again the boy laughed as he stated it was no trouble._

_Almost the instant I got done with one bottle, he surprised me by handing another. It was almost like a fairytale, the thief and the son of the noble. Eventually the boy asked for my name, and I told him it was 'Tashine'. While he didn't realize I had mispronounced it because the sake was kicking in, he smiled and told me that his name was Retaby. Eventually my +Anima form slipped, although Retaby insisted it was no trouble._

_Of course, that was the last thing he said before something hard hit the back of my head, knocking me out. When I came to, everything had changed. There were chains around my arms and legs, I couldn't move, and Retaby was standing in front of me, now looking at me completely differently. I_

Tachine awoke with a start, her heart pounding. Wow, she hadn't expected _that_. That goddamn _bastard!_ What had even brought that up? That was such a long time ago, even before Tachine met Zacyr - almost _right_ before she had met Zacyr, actually.

She still could remember how Retaby had completely outplayed her. Tachine had had no warning for Retaby's betrayal. Indeed, if that dumbass hadn't been so sadistic as to leave the keys in the room, just out of Tachine's reach, and if Tachine hadn't been so lucky that the chain connecting her right arm to the wall had been so rusty, she would never have gotten out of there.

And _Retaby_ . . . that goddamn _bastard!_ Oh, Tachine had had fun chasing that fucking _coward_ around the mansion, until she had finally kicked him out of one of the windows and sent him plummeting to his death. Wasn't so brave when his victim could fight back now, was he?

No, she had to calm down. Tachine let out a large sigh as her heart finally began slowing down. Just the very _thought_ of Retaby made Tachine's blood boil. What a goddamn . . . _ugh!_

Eventually Tachine got to her feet. This was the room that Ryca had offered Tachine and Sarysi. It looked like morning had come and gone. Tachine guessed that made sense, she had been pretty tired last night. She soon got up and got dressed, grinning to herself as she put on the white shirt. Tachine had visited Zacyr yesterday while Kshtsi had been fishing, and had specifically asked Zacyr to make a nice-fitting shirt for Tachine. He had surprised her when just a bit later he had finished it, apparently having taken apart some of the rope he carried with him to do so.

Once she got dressed, Tachine walked over to the door. She was still pissed off at the dream, so she swung open the door with a bit more force than she probably should have. So of course, she heard a spectacular _thud_ as the door abruptly stopped only partway open, the reason becoming obvious when a cry of pain came from the other side of the door.

Tachine winced as she quickly exited the door, and found a female bird +Anima with red and blue feathers doubled over, covering her beak with her arms. Tachine immediately ran over to her, apologizing as she checked to make sure the +Anima was okay. To her partial amusement, the +Anima grumbled.

"Damn, first that Sarysi gets all pissy at me and almost kills me and now I'm attacked by the door!"

Tachine couldn't help but laugh at that. She apologized to the bird +Anima again, who shook her head. "At the very least, you apologized for it. I mean, oh my _god_. I say _one_ bad thing about the human with your group - and it wasn't even _supposed_ to be a bad thing - and she goes"

The bird +Anima folded up her wings and rolled her eyes. When she spoke next, Tachine was completely startled when the girl pulled off a _perfect_ imitation of Sarysi's voice. "'_Do you even realize who you're TALKING too!? I'm his girlfriend, and I will NOT tolerate you insulting him!_' Then she hit me on the forehead hard enough that I saw _stars_."

To say the least, Tachine was impressed. Not at the force that Sarysi had hit the girl with, no. That was actually pretty common from Sarysi. But she couldn't believe just how _flawlessly_ the bird +Anima had mimicked Sarysi's voice. "Wow, that was a really good imitation. You got her voice _perfectly_."

The bird +Anima smiled, and Tachine was further impressed when her own voice escaped from the girl's beak. However, it was much more halting, and there were times it just didn't sound like Tachine's voice. "'Well, now. I wouldn't say that was a really good imitation."

Tachine shrugged before she asked the bird +Anima if there was anything she wanted, and this time the bird +Anima responded in her own voice. "Nothing in particular. I just felt like saying high to the new neighbors. My name's Krej."

After responding with her name, Tachine asked what Krej thought about Zacyr. Krej almost amused Tachine when she shrugged. "Not really much _to_ think about him. I mean, to be put in Lexa's building for an entire _night?_ There's no way in hell that he'd be alive."

Tachine sighed. She decided to try and push the issue. "I don't know, he's pretty tough. With all that horseplay that Sarysi pulls off, I almost can't tell how he lived so _long_."

When Krej almost immediately began paying much more attention, Tachine began to wonder about her. Krej didn't sound threatening, but she really seemed a lot more interested in the conversation. "Really? I was thinking that Sarysi had a soft spot for him."

That got Tachine to laugh. She tried to shake the feeling that something was off, but it just wouldn't go away. "He has described her as a rose before: something beautiful, but well defended. She loves him, but that never stopped her from beating him up."

Krej seemed surprised, but she eventually sighed. "I guess love doesn't always have to follow rules. Still, seems like an abusive relationship."

The two of them continued to talk about it for a while, but eventually Tachine was surprised when she heard someone call for her. She soon turned towards the stairs to find Yena briskly walking up them. "Hi there! I just got . . . _Krej?_"

Yena almost immediately surprised Tachine when he gave Krej a suspicious look. "What are you doing here?"

When Tachine turned to look at Krej, she noticed annoyance in Krej's eyes. "I'm _talking_, is that a crime? Why do you _always_ act like I'm up to something?"

Yena got Tachine by surprise by giving an amused grin. "Oh, I don't know. _Maybe_ it has something to do with the fact that you and Oroco are in love with each other?"

Oroco? Tachine recognized the name, but she couldn't place where she had heard it before . . . she focused when Krej asked - none too politely - why Yena could possibly think that would mean Krej was up to something. Yena immediately chuckled as he put his hands behind his head. "Well, that chicken +Anima you're friends with-"

"_**EMU!**_"

Tachine flinched at Krej's outburst. Oh, _that_ Oroco! The same Oroco that ripped Zacyr's back open? Oh, this just got interesting. Krej now had her hands on her hips as she glared viciously at Yena, who simply chuckled. "Now see, _that's_ why. You are pretty much _madly_ in love with him. If he tells you to do _anything_, you'll do it without any hesitation. And I know Oroco was pretty angry with Unibas when Unibas gave Oroco's place as a general to Ryca."

While Tachine didn't understand everything going on, she frowned as Krej gave Yena a _vicious_ glare before abruptly nodding towards the wall nearby her. Tachine now glared at Krej as she realized Krej was motioning towards the drawings Ryca had made on the wall, and when Krej spoke next her voice sounded quite cruel. "Unibas has been acting funny lately. First he gives Oroco's job to that dysfunctional and schizophrenic _psycho_. And when Ryca loses his first battle, _as he was OBVIOUSLY going to do,_ who does Unibas blame? He blames _Oroco_ when Oroco wasn't even _part_ of the battle!"

Tachine frowned as Yena sighed. Before Yena could say anything, Tachine forcefully interrupted them. "It's not Ryca's fault that he's a little different. Zacyr trusted Ryca, and that's good enough for me. Ryca should be given a chance to show what he can do."

The effect was impressive. Yena flinched at Tachine's words, and Krej now glared at Tachine. "He _was_ given a chance. And he _failed,_ so why does Ryca still have Oroco's job? Do you two have _any_ idea how personally Oroco's taking this? He doesn't say it out loud, but he's really hurt that Unibas did that to him."

"_Oh, boo-hoo!_"

Tachine and Krej flinched as Yena spoke up. His voice was now stern, and there was a harsh edge to it that Tachine hadn't heard before. Yena actually marched up to an obviously startled Krej and glared directly at her face. "You have _no_ understanding of the situation, Krej! Ryca lost that battle because the person who was _supposed_ to be backing him up with a second squad - _your boyfriend, _coincidently - never backed him up! Instead he _wasted time_ by arguing with Unibas and questioning Unibas' authority! He got blamed for that loss because it _was_ his fault! I don't _care_ that he's angry over this, _he __**earned**__ it!_ Don't you _dare_ try the 'pity him' act!"

Tachine couldn't believe it. She had no idea Yena _could_ get this angry. Yet Krej soon returned the glare, obviously angered even more by Yena's words. "It's called _sympathy_, something you obviously _lack!_"

Yena surprised Tachine by growling at Krej, and when he spoke next it was with an unnervingly calm voice. "I'm not stupid, Krej. If he really needed this 'sympathy', then you would be next to him right now and comforting him. Oroco's not one to sit in his room and cry his eyes out because he made a mistake. Quit going around and trying to make people believe he's the victim you _think_ he is."

Tachine flinched as she saw Krej's face turn red. Was she . . . was she _blushing_? Tachine was convinced that Yena had struck a nerve when Krej made an excuse to leave, and did so before either Tachine or Yena could say anymore. Once she was out of sight, Tachine focused on Yena to see he was obviously just as riled up as Krej had been. It was obvious that both Krej and Yena hated each other.

Eventually Tachine spoke up, trying to be cautious since Yena was obviously in a bad mood. "So-uh, hi Yena."

Yena looked at Tachine, and she was relieved when he took a deep breath. "Sorry you had to witness that. _Krej_ . . . she and I don't see eye-to-eye. But anyways, how are you today?"

Tachine mentioned that she was doing okay, and Yena smiled at her. "That's good. Do you feel up to doing some work?"

The word 'work' got Tachine to cringe. She _hated_ doing work of any sorts. Her reaction wasn't missed by Yena, who laughed in reply. When he stopped though, he smiled at Tachine. "If I'm correct, you used to be a thief, right?"

Tachine nodded, blushing slightly. But Yena surprised her by smiling wider. "Unibas and I thought so. Unibas had a recommendation for what you should do."

* * *

><p>A brand new day has begun!<p>

So what is Tachine's job? Now look. If I deliberately ended the chapter before you could hear it, why in the _world_ would I tell you down here? :)

(Update 12/3/12)

Here's the same list I sent Death 101

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)

There. This is the same list that I'm going to - uh, that I HAVE been using to keep track of all the characters, so it's (hopefully) 100% accurate.


	65. The Interlopers

Hello!

Alright, so considering the chapter three chapters ago has absolutely nothing to do with this chapter, I'll start the refresh at chapter 63.

Chapter 63: The first chapter from Ameru's point of view. After narrowly choosing not to commit suicide, Ameru was brought to the human leader (Elerad) and was given the job of a guard at a warehouse.

Chapter 64: After having a nightmare/flashback of the time she was betrayed by a nobleman who's name is finally revealed to be Retaby, Tachine gets up and gets ready for the day. After speaking to Krej about Zacyr, Tachine witnesses the hyena +Anima named Yena argue with Krej for a little bit. Once Krej leaves, Yena tells Tachine that Unibas and Yena believe they know a job Tachine can do.

. . .

Wow. I kind of thought writing the summaries would be harder than that. As suggested, I will try to give a summary of the last three or so chapters (less if the third chapter has little to do with the current chapter, as is the case with this one) in the author's note before the posted chapter.

* * *

><p>Ameru sighed as he adjusted his new leather cap on his head. It may not have been the best protection for his head, but it was all he really felt comfortable with. He looked around, rather interested in seeing the inside of the building that he was supposed to protect. Not that there was much to see. It pretty much consisted of shelves and shelves full of various food supplies. However it still seemed rather neat.<p>

Soon Ameru heard a proud male voice originating from behind him. "Alright, next up is the chain mail."

Ameru looked at the young man who sitting on a chair next to the entrance. The man held himself in a proud manner, and even Ameru could tell that the young man used to be quite rich just from the way he carried himself. And yet compared to what Ameru had expected his 'overconfident' partner was actually kind of a nice person. The man had been surprised to see Ameru when Ameru had gotten here a few hours ago, but now he was helping Ameru get dressed up for his first day as a guard. He even helped Ameru get the chain armor on when Ameru managed to get himself caught in it. While Ameru blushed, the person chuckled slightly. "It takes practice."

Ameru couldn't help the blush that came to his face. He still felt like this was the wrong place for him. But the man soon held a spear out for Ameru to grab. When Ameru went to grab it he was surprised when the man gasped and dropped the spear. The young man gave a grunt of pain as his hand went to his back. "_Damn_ it!"

Ameru immediately walked over to the man, who sat back down on the chair while rubbing his back. When Ameru asked if the man needed help he was startled when the young man gave him a look that clearly stated 'how stupid _are_ you!?' But that look quickly disappeared, and in return the young man rolled his eyes at Ameru. "No, it's an injury I got not too long ago that keeps acting up whenever I move wrong. Anyways, it's about time for you to grab the spear and stand outside the doorway."

Ameru didn't have to be told twice. Without another word Ameru grabbed the spear off the ground and quickly made his way out of the warehouse. Once he was outside he sighed. The 'entrance' of the warehouse was actually an opening into an alleyway, which Ameru kind of preferred. That made it much easier to defend, since he would only have to focus on people that entered the alleyway. Okay, so all he had to do now was . . . wait, he guessed?

He hated waiting. Waiting gave him time to think, and he had learned long ago that if he had time to think, he'd end up thinking about what happens when one dies. Well he guessed it was an okay topic to wonder about, so long as he didn't feel a burning desire to find out the answer. It still felt pretty unhealthy to think about though. What else could he think about?

With that question in his head Ameru turned to look out of the alleyway. He was just in time to see a young boy walking past the alleyway with his mother. Ameru immediately looked away from the event, and almost had to force himself to not look back. What about _his_ parents? He never _had_ learned who they were.

In fact, he didn't even know what they had _intended_ to name him. That thought only made Ameru feel worse. Ameru . . . he had only gotten that name four years ago. Before that . . . Ameru shuddered as he thought about that time. He could barely remember what it had been like before that time.

It wasn't like he had amnesia or anything. It was just . . . well, there was nothing to remember. He had just been a young boy that had watched the streets in the hope that someone would drop some food so he could quickly run up, grab the food, get back to his hiding place, eat the food, and repeat.

Sometimes he had watched families going by, wondering what it would be like to be part of it. In fact, that had been his favorite way to pass the time. He had always hoped the day would come when he would run out into the streets and suddenly find a man and a woman embracing him, tearfully saying that they had thought they would never see him again.

Ameru shuddered again, trying to find something else to occupy his attention instead of his own thoughts. That 'something else' came in the form of hysterical laughter. When Ameru turned his head to locate the source he gulped when he saw a girl entering the alleyway from the streets.

He knew this girl well. He had no shot at her. In fact, he was actually kind of surprised to see her laughing. Normally she never showed any sign of joy in Ameru's presence. Ameru was amazed when the girl - her name was Nidec - actually _smiled_ in Ameru's direction. Uh . . . no, he wasn't going to question this. Maybe he _did _have a chance at her after all.

So what did he do now? He had never gotten this far before. As he wondered Nidec just continued laughing, and after a bit of time Ameru blushed as he realized the reality of the situation. Absolutely nothing had changed. Nidec was laughing _at_ him.

"_Oh my god! OH MY GOD! __**YOU**__, a __**SOLDIER!?**__ Oh my GOD, you are KILLING me over here!"_

Ameru blushed more as Nidec continued laughing. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? While Ameru tried not to focus on her, it was . . . it was really hard. While Nidec eventually stopped laughing, Ameru blushed as Nidec began walking over to him. She was grinning as if she had just heard the greatest joke ever made. "Oh my _god_, that's good! What, did you think 'soldiers are chick magnets, I should totally be one'? I mean, who in their right mind would give you a sharp object!? You're so clumsy that even _if_ you got into a fight, you'd probably manage to impale yourself with the spear right up your-"

At this point Nidec was about to pass by a window on the warehouse. But Ameru and Nidec both flinched when that window abruptly shattered _just_ as Nidec was about to walk past, and to Ameru's complete shock the cause of the shattered window, a spear, embedded itself into the wall just _inches_ from Nidec's face. Ameru looked at the window and was deeply startled to see that the young man inside the warehouse was giving Nidec a _murderous_ glare. "_**Get the HELL out of here, you fucking BITCH!**_"

Nidec was obviously just as startled, but as the boy repeated the command Nidec snapped at him. "What the _hell_ is your problem!? You almost _killed_ me!"

The boy snapped back at Nidec, repeating the command and calling Nidec quite a few vulgar things in the process. Ameru and Nidec were very confused, but eventually Nidec backed out of the alleyway, glaring at the boy before she walked out of sight.

"_**And YOU**_"

Ameru flinched as the boy leapt out of the broken window and grabbed his spear. The boy then gave Ameru a very strange look, almost like he was in disbelief. "_Why the __**hell**__ did you not try to stop her!?_"

_That_ got Ameru to blush. Had Nidec been trying to enter the warehouse? Ameru timidly tried to explain to the enraged boy that he hadn't realized she was trying to enter the warehouse, but the boy deeply startled him when he gave Ameru a completely dumbstruck look. "The warehouse - _who gives a __**FUCK**__ about the warehouse!? _She was _insulting_ you, _degrading_ you, and you just stood there and _let_ her!? Why the _hell _didn't you try to shut her up!? Do you realize that if she had spoken to _me_ like that, I would have beaten the _shit_ out of her? _Why didn't you fight __**back!?**_"

Poor Ameru could only look away from the boy, his face flushing with shame. Ameru of course knew his answer. What he didn't know was . . . how could Ameru explain to the boy why Ameru hadn't defended himself? It was just . . .

"I-I'm used to it, and besides . . . I'm not worth defending."

Ameru didn't expect the boy to flinch like he did. But the boy then looked at Ameru strangely. It almost looked like the boy was trying to comprehend what Ameru had just said. Ameru blushed as he looked down at the ground, he just couldn't make eye contact with the boy. He was certain the boy was going to be disgusted and order Ameru out of his sights. That was what normally happened.

The boy's response seemed to take forever to manifest. When it did, Ameru was shocked to hear the boy's voice was soft, almost . . . _gentle_, even. "Do you even realize what you just said?"

It took a lot of effort for Ameru to look up at the boy, and he was deeply startled to see pity in the boy's eyes. The boy actually rubbed his face with his sleeve before he spoke again. "How can you _possibly_ believe that? Look . . . I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

Ameru gave his name for the second time to the boy. In return, the boy _deeply_ startled Ameru when he put a light hand on Ameru's shoulder. He didn't see the look on the boy's face. Ameru had brought his eyesight back to the ground, unable to make eye contact again.

"Ameru . . . my name is Retaby. When we're done with our shifts . . . remind me to take a walk with you. We . . . we need to talk."

By the time Ameru looked up again he only just got a glimpse of the warehouse door closing. Once it did, Ameru found himself thinking about what had just occurred. For someone who was supposedly 'overconfident' . . . Retaby wasn't that bad of a person. It made Ameru wonder about what Retaby wanted to talk about.

However, he didn't have that much time to think about it. A few minutes passed without anything happening, and during that time Ameru wondered what Retaby wanted to talk about. However, it wasn't long before the voice of a young woman ended the silence. "Hi there."

Ameru turned to face the alleyway. He was surprised to find a girl approaching from the opposite direction that Nidec had used earlier. Unlike Nidec, this girl was giving Ameru a genuine smile. Her long red hair was well kept, and her white clothing - if they could be called that - left little to the imagination. While Ameru blushed when he saw the beautiful girl, he quickly got up his spear and pointed it in the girl's general direction.

The girl seemed rather surprised at Ameru's reaction and asked why Ameru thought she was a threat - even calling him by name. However, Ameru refused to let his guard down. There was a very simple reason why he was so suspicious. "I've asked every single girl on our side of the city out before. I know them all by name. But I've never seen you before, and I don't have a clue what your name is. I don't know you."

Now Ameru didn't know what he was expecting the girl to do. Maybe he was expecting her to cringe and back off. Maybe he was expecting her to compliment him on his observation skills. What he did _not_ expect was for her to smile and walk closer. The girl casually pushed the tip of Ameru's spear away from her direction as she walked directly up to a deeply startled Ameru, until there was barely an inch between their faces. Then, oh _god_, the _smile_ the girl gave him. "Would you _like_ to know me?"

Poor Ameru had no idea how to respond. He blushed more as he almost felt his tongue tie itself into a knot. "I uh . . . I uh . . ."

It was no use. He couldn't come up with something to say. He hadn't had a girl ever do this to him before. As he tried to figure out what to say the girl giggled before gently rubbing the right side of his face. "I just got here today, that's probably why you don't recognize me. My name's Tachine. Now I know this may sound strange, but can you please close your pretty little eyes for just a second? I don't like being seen by _anyone_ when I'm giving a cute guy like you a kiss."

Ameru couldn't help it. His eyes immediately closed, he was almost _shivering_ in anticipation. _Finally_, a girl liked him! He couldn't believe it! Maybe being a guard _was_ the right thing for him to do after-

Unfortunately, that was as far as his thoughts could go. There was a searing pain in his head for just a split second, then there was just . . . nothing.

The next thing that Ameru knew, he was in a sitting position with his back resting against the wall of the warehouse. A man wearing a white full-body suit was standing in front of Ameru and asking if he was alright. In spite of a _massive_ headache that was hard to think through, Ameru dumbly nodded. Of course that only ended up aggravating the headache. Ameru soon noticed the man was looking at Ameru's head, and when Ameru rubbed his forehead he found out why when his fingers found a large and sensitive bump directly on his forehead. Ugh, what had _happened?_

Ameru tried to get to his feet, but the man in front of him told Ameru to stay down. So he did. Once his head stopped throbbing so much Ameru looked around, still trying to understand what the hell had just happened. His eyes went wide when he saw two older guards carrying a large, blood-soaked bag away from the warehouse. "Wh . . . what's that?"

By this time, Ameru's thoughts were getting back to speed. He recognized the man standing in front of him as one of Elerad's ghosts. And that bag the two guards had carried away . . . that had been big enough to hold a person. The ghost sighed as Ameru asked who died. Instead of answering Ameru the ghost asked how Ameru had gotten knocked out. While the question got Ameru to blush, he explained how a girl who called herself Tachine had flirted with him.

When he ended the explanation with the fact that the girl had tricked him and must have knocked him out, the ghost shook his head. "Well, that explains how they got past you. Anyways, due to the situation, two more experienced guards are going to watch the warehouse now."

Ameru sighed, but then the reality of the situation hit him. "_Two_ more experienced guards? What happened to Retaby?"

The ghost sighed, confirming what Ameru was thinking. Ameru couldn't believe it. "He _died?_"

With another sigh the ghost nodded. "Yes. We know for certain that it was the girl that killed him. She must have been a +Anima thief."

God _damn_ it. Ameru could only blush as he looked at the ground. He should have _known_! He had even caught on to the fact that she wasn't from the human side, yet she had tricked him so _easily_? "So I'm no good as a guard either."

"Wrong."

Ameru flinched as he looked up to find the ghost giving him a stern look. "This was a freak accident. It was an experienced thief against two inexperienced guards, and if we had known she was going to target the warehouse you would never have been put over here to defend it. Anyways, come with me. Elerad wishes to speak with you."

~Tachine~

Tachine raced through the empty streets, headed back to the +Anima side of the city. She was carrying a rather large bag full of stolen goods over her shoulder as she did so. It had been a very successful steal, one that she should have been proud of. However, her theft was the _last_ thing on her mind.

She still couldn't believe it. The memory of finding _Retaby_ of all people inside the warehouse was branded into her mind. How the _hell_ . . . b-but she had _killed_ him after he betrayed her! She had even looked at his dead body as she had fled from the mansion! _How had he lived!? _Was it the bush? That must have been it. She had seen his body lying next to it, had that bush broken his fall?

She continued running towards the +Anima side, although she grinned as she looked down at her blood-stained clothing. If Retaby managed to live _this_ time, Tachine would be rather impressed. She had been _quite_ thorough this time.

Tachine continued running, but she was quite startled when she entered the next alleyway to find someone blocking the exit of the alleyway. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other. The woman raised an eyebrow as she eyed Tachine, which Tachine really couldn't blame the woman for doing. Most people wouldn't expect to see a person who had their front side almost completely covered in blood running into an alleyway like this.

She decided to test the water, to see just how serious of a problem this was, by making a half-hearted joke. "Oh, don't worry. It's not mine."

To Tachine's relief the woman gave a slight smirk. Now that she knew she wasn't in any immediate danger, Tachine looked the girl over. Tachine was surprised to find the woman wore a strange white bodysuit that Tachine had never seen before. In fact, the fabric looked very similar to the fabric in Tachine's own clothing. The woman shook her head towards Tachine before she spoke. "That's not a very comforting thought either. Anyways, you must be Tachine."

Tachine couldn't have jumped higher if she had tried. She immediately demanded to know how the woman knew her name. To her surprise the demand got a chuckle out of the woman. "I am one of Elerad's ghosts, my dear. Just a few seconds ago I was alerted that a thief who brutally murdered a guard in a warehouse and escaped with a great deal of food was headed in my direction. Apparently the other guard, Ameru, managed to get your name."

Oh. So the woman was on the human side. Tachine gulped, but immediately got into a fighting position. This woman wasn't getting the food that Tachine stole! "If you think I'm just going to hand my spoils to you, you are _dead_ wrong!"

To her surprise the woman made no move towards Tachine. In fact the only thing that the woman did was put her hands behind her head, as if she was almost bored. "Did I ever say I was going to stop you? Playing clean up for the guards is not part of my duties as a ghost, and I'm not doing anything extra like that unless Elerad ups our pay. In fact the _only_ reason that I'm talking to you is because I got a good look at your clothing, and I know you _must_ be one of Zacyr's friends."

Tachine flinched at that. How . . . actually, now that she looked at the woman . . . her suit looked like it might have been made out of the exact same material Zacyr had used to weave Tachine's clothing. Was this . . . Zacyr _was _still looking for his mother, and if he had learned rope-weaving from his mother, he probably learned how to weave clothing from her too. "You know, Zacyr's been looking for his mother."

The woman immediately flinched before raising an eyebrow. "What the hell does that have to do with - _oh_, right. You are mistaken Tachine, this suit is mandatory for Elerad's ghosts by his orders. _He_ weaved it."

Tachine tried to get the woman to explain how this 'Elerad' knew how to make it, but the woman waved away the question. "Anyways, I haven't had time to get food myself today. If you give me a loaf of bread, I might just tell you something interesting in exchange."

Tachine frowned. She eventually shrugged, figuring that one loaf of bread wouldn't be a huge loss. As such she reached into the bag of stolen food and eventually grabbed out a good sized loaf. She lightly tossed it over to the woman, who caught it with a slight smirk on her face. "Alright, a deal's a deal. Do you know that Zacyr's mother took him on a trip around Astaria some years ago?"

While startled that the woman knew that, Tachine nodded. She then asked how the woman knew, which got a grin out of the woman. "The two of them passed through this very town during their little trip. I happened to be living here at the time, and I can't tell you how startled I was to see the small, hairy creature on his shoulder."

Now _that_ got a smile out of Tachine, she knew exactly what it must have been. She had forgotten about Zacyr's love of mice. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Real in a while. "He has a pet mouse now too, although it-"

"It wasn't a mouse, Tachine."

What? Tachine cocked her head as the woman smirked at her. The woman's smirk only grew when Tachine asked what it was. "It had to be the biggest tarantula I have ever seen."

What. No way. _No way._ How could that be? "B-but he's _terrified_ of spiders!"

The woman gave a slight shrug in reply. "He wasn't at that time. Apparently they had found it in the forest, and his mother had brought up the idea of keeping it as a pet. I was quite surprised to learn that the same timid boy who had damn near jumped out of his skin when I said 'hi' to him had happily agreed to the idea of having the tarantula as a pet."

Tachine couldn't believe it. Zacyr _not_ being afraid of a spider . . . it just, it didn't make sense. "Every time he's seen a spider around us, he _freaks_."

The woman shrugged again. "I didn't say it made sense. I offered to tell you something interesting. Indeed, I didn't think you'd find that to be so interesting. I didn't even tell you what I intended to."

Oh. Tachine asked what she had initially been planning to say, but the woman only gave Tachine another smirk. "I offered to tell you something interesting. I didn't expect you to find the tarantula so interesting, true, but it appears to be something interesting to you. I have already kept my promise, there's no need to say more."

That was all she said. She amazed Tachine when she just . . . well, disappeared. It was so fast. The woman just seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving Tachine alone in the alleyway. While Tachine certainly needed time to think about this, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. She still needed to get the bag back to the +Anima side before someone else caught up to her. With that in mind Tachine took off again, sprinting down the alleyway.

* * *

><p>Wow. Just . . . wow. As of 1216/12, I have 102 reviews. Thank you all so much for your feedback.

I dislike switching viewpoints in the same chapter, but I felt it was necessary. The important thing I wanted to do was show without a doubt that yes, Retaby was the exact same Retaby that Tachine had known, and that was obviously a major reason she killed him.

Oh, and here's an updated list of characters as to this chapter. Characters that were unnamed are not included.

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p> 


	66. The Hunter And The Stargazer

Happy holidays!

Chapter 63: After narrowly choosing not to commit suicide, Ameru is called to the human leader's mansion. The human leader (Elerad) chooses to have Ameru become a guard and to guard a warehouse the next day.

Chapter 64: Tachine wakes up the next morning after having a nightmare about the boy who almost got her killed. In a bad mood she accidentally slams the door in Krej the parrot +Anima's face. The two of them converse for a little bit before Yena appears and argues with Krej. The argument ends with Krej flying away, and Yena tells Tachine that they think they have a job that's good for her.

Chapter 65: Ameru is guarding the warehouse. After getting lost in his thoughts, the girl named Nidec appears and begins harassing him. The other guard drives Nidec away, and while speaking with Ameru that guard is revealed to be Retaby, the same person who betrayed Tachine. Not long after that talk Tachine's job is revealed when she tricks Ameru into lowering his guard and knocks him out. After catching up with Retaby by brutally murdering him, Tachine flees for the +Anima side of the city. But on her way back to the +Anima side, one of Elerad's ghosts - this one notably female - has light conversation with Tachine, and after revealing that Zacyr used to have a pet spider the ghost leaves as quickly as she appeared.

I wanted to get this chapter in before 2012 was over, so it may be a bit rushed. I may edit it a few times later, but the basics of it won't change.

* * *

><p>Mina waited patiently behind the bush, watching the clearing in front of her for any sign of movement. Her bow was at the ready, with an arrow in her hand. She knew what she was doing. She had done this hundreds of times. Hunting had to be her favorite activity.<p>

When a large moose eventually entered the clearing, Mina couldn't help the large smile that appeared on her face. Oh, _yeah_ that was a lot of meat! She waited for the moose to graze, but to her surprise the moose instead turned its head left and right, as if it was searching for something. Did it sense her?

Mina cringed when that moose eventually walked back out of the clearing. While normally she would have just taken the shot, the moose turned so its hindquarters were facing Mina. She couldn't hit a vital from this angle, and while she was a good shot she doubted that she could hit one of the moose's spindly legs in an attempt to cripple it.

Once the moose was out of sight, Mina immediately got out of her hiding place. She wasn't really that flustered that the moose had managed to slip away by pure luck. Tracking was something else she was good at.

Unfortunately, her attention was brought elsewhere when she heard a male voice from behind her. She immediately turned around to locate the speaker, almost sighing in relief when she saw it was one of Elerad's ghosts. For a moment she had thought she might have crossed into +Anima territory again by mistake.

The ghost sighed before he crossed his arms. "I apologize about interrupting your hunt, but Elerad wishes to see you. Do you have time?"

Mina let out a slight grunt of annoyance, but ultimately she nodded. If she really thought about it she probably couldn't have dragged the moose back to the city by herself anyways, so it would be a waste of time to try catching it. Soon she was following behind the ghost as he led her through the forest. Mina was surprised when the ghost conversed with her on the way. "Not too long ago, a +Anima thief broke into a warehouse being defended by Ameru and Retaby."

Wait. "Ameru?"

The ghost nodded. "Under Elerad's orders Ameru is now attempting his hand at being a guard. While he was supposed to start off with an easy-to-defend warehouse, he just happened to be there when it was targeted by the thief. The thief was a young female. She effortlessly tricked Ameru into lowering his guard before knocking him out."

Mina couldn't help but grin at that. "What a surprise. With how obsessive Ameru is when it comes to getting a girlfriend, she probably didn't even need to say anything."

The ghost made no comment on what Mina said. Instead he continued where he had left off. "There was a guard inside the warehouse named Retaby. I got a good look at the aftermath. Retaby was pinned to a wall by two spears embedded in his hands and there was a large gouge mark in his chest where his heart should have been. His heart, or what was left of it, was underneath an overturned stool. It appears the thief cut out Retaby's heart than crushed it with the stool."

Mina felt a bolt of lightning race through her. Why . . . why would a thief go _that_ far? That would be a time-consuming activity that held no purpose. Why would someone that would want to be as quick as possible actually waste time doing that? "Why didn't she just stab him in the heart?"

The ghost simply shrugged. "We don't know. That's what's so strange about it. She knocked out one guard but then not only _killed_ the second one. She even made certain to destroy the second one's heart even _after_ he was obviously dead. If she was trying to be efficient, why did she do something as time-consuming as cut out Retaby's heart? But if she was a sadist that wanted to see all humans die, why did she only knock out Ameru? My only guess is that Retaby must have pissed her off somehow while Ameru didn't."

While Mina was just as confused the ghost eventually sighed before abruptly changing the subject. "If you're looking for the reason Elerad wishes to see you, I do not know."

By this point the two of them reached the city. The ghost said nothing more as he led a very confused Mina to Elerad's mansion. On the way Mina tried to figure out what she had done. Had it been because of the incident she had had with that one hyena +Anima the day before? Did they even _know_ about that?

But then again, being called to see him didn't _necessarily _mean that she had done something wrong, did it? If it was about Cory . . . well, she was still upset about it, but she wasn't going to let it stop her.

When the ghost and Mina entered the building, Mina was _not_ prepared to find Ameru standing in the room with Elerad. The ghost took his spot next to the other three ghosts as Ameru gave Mina a smile that told Mina _exactly_ what he was about to do. "If I said you had-"

She didn't even let him finish. "I am _not_ in the mood for your _goddamn_ pickup lines!"

Mina immediately cringed when she realized she had set herself up. She knew exactly what Ameru was going to say, 'So should we just skip to the making out?' She should have _realized_ that she was setting herself up the instant she thought of it! Why had she . . . just . . . wait, what was going on? Mina soon looked at Ameru in complete shock. He wasn't saying it. The look on his face . . . he looked like he was completely dumbstruck. "You . . . you don't . . . like them?"

Mina couldn't believe it. If Ameru hadn't sounded so startled, Mina would have thought it was a sarcastic joke. "Of _course_ I don't like them! _No _girl does! It has to be the most _annoying_ and _immature_ thing you could do!"

The way Ameru flinched would probably have been more appropriate if Mina had slapped him. "I . . . r-really? But what -"

Mina let out an exasperated sigh before covering a startled Ameru's mouth with her hand. She wasn't here to argue with him. "Just shut up. Elerad wants to speak with me. I don't want to hear a peep out of you while he does. Got it?"

It was her turn to be startled when Ameru immediately nodded, still looking like he was in complete disbelief. Uh . . . okay? She hadn't expected him to listen like that. Mina eventually chose not to question it. Instead she turned her attention to Elerad. "You wished to see me sir?"

Elerad nodded, and for the first time Mina saw the amused expression on Elerad's face. But he eventually gave a serious look to Mina when he began speaking. "I've wanted to check up on you since this morning. How are you coping?"

Ah, so this _was_ about Cory. Mina eventually sighed before she stated that she was doing alright. "I do miss him, but life goes on whether I wish it to or not."

She watched as Elerad nodded at her comment. "That is true, time stops for no one. And that is related to the second reason I wished to see you."

Mina flinched, but she soon saw Elerad scratch the back of his head. He looked like he was a bit uncertain about what he was going to say. "I assigned Ameru to the job of guarding the warehouse as it was the safest place I could find him to start. However, it appears the +Anima side has made the warehouse one of their targets, and against all odds Ameru suddenly found himself up against a skilled thief. Until we know for certain whether this thief is going to return and attack the warehouse again, I'm considering it too dangerous for Ameru to be expected to guard. However, this causes a problem. To put it simply, I wish for Ameru to still be in a guard position, but I still want him in a position where a dangerous encounter is unlikely."

Uh . . . okay? While Mina guessed she agreed with that, at least in the fact that it made sense not to put someone as defenseless as Ameru in an actually _dangerous_ encounter, she failed to see what that had to do with her. When she politely asked Elerad what this had to do with her Mina saw Elerad sigh. "You are to hunt deep within our territory today. And I expect Ameru to accompany you as a guard."

_**What!?**_ "_He's guarding __**me!?**_Absolutely _not!_ I can't tolerate being near that insensitive _jackass_ for more than ten seconds! I can't put up with him for an entire _day!_"

Elerad's ghosts got Mina to gulp when they all focused on her and stopped leaning against the walls. What did she say to get _them _mad!? But Elerad got Mina completely off-guard when he _laughed_. Once he finished laughing Elerad told Mina to turn around. When Mina did she felt like she was struck by a bolt of lightning.

_Ameru_ was standing right there, rubbing his arm as he stared at his feet. How the . . . Mina couldn't help the blush that appeared on her face. But . . . but he hadn't _said_ anything. Mina had thought he had left. He had actually been quiet all that time? Mina had no idea Ameru could go more than five seconds without saying something annoying.

"You've been speaking to Nidec, haven't you Mina?"

Mina turned her head to look at Elerad, who nodded towards Ameru. "Nidec has made it her mission to keep Ameru away from the girls. Her intentions are noble, but I doubt she thinks of Ameru as anything more than an annoyance. Answer me this Mina. If he's so disobedient, why hasn't he uttered a peep since you told him to not utter a peep?"

The news hit Mina like a sledgehammer. She just didn't know how to respond. Fortunately Elerad either noticed that fact, or he hadn't expected her to answer. "I'm not telling you to marry him Mina. What I'm telling you to do is to let him guard you in a part of the forest you will likely not _need_ to be defended."

While Mina wanted to refuse, she was very startled when she found she couldn't get herself to say it. If she was entirely honest with herself, she felt guilty for insulting Ameru right in front of him. So after trying and failing to force herself to refuse she eventually sighed and just began walking to the door. As she opened the door she looked at Ameru. He obviously thought she was going to refuse, so Mina finally forced herself to speak. "Are you coming or not?"

The effect it had on him was quite impressive. He looked up at her with clear shock etched into his face. Even now he didn't speak. Ameru just hurriedly grabbed his spear - _still_ holding it the wrong way - and quickly walked over to Mina. Once he was ready Mina walked out the door with Ameru dutifully following behind her.

Almost the instant they walked out onto the street, Mina was startled at just how many eyes were on them. Many people were looking at them with clear shock, but quite a few of those looks quickly gave way to glares. While Mina knew they must have been directed at Ameru, that didn't stop her from shuddering in fear. She felt like she was in danger.

Mina soon looked back at Ameru to find him meekly following behind her. His eyes were fixated directly on Mina's feet. Was that so he didn't have to see the people looking at them? Mina soon quickened her pace, trying to get away from the glares people were giving Ameru.

She almost made it without anything happening. She was _so_ close to the edge of the city. But as she walked by the makeshift alchemist shop the door to the shop flew open as an obviously outraged Nidec stormed out of the shop and made a bee line for Ameru. Ameru obviously noticed Nidec, considering he gulped, but that was all.

Before Nidec could say anything Mina stepped in-between her and Ameru. In spite of the fact that Mina was the one that did it, the act surprised her just as much as it clearly surprised Nidec and Ameru. Nidec halted in her tracks with a look of complete disbelief on her face, and when Mina looked behind her Ameru was finally looking directly at her, clearly just as startled as Mina and Nidec were.

"Mina?"

Mina turned to look at Nidec. Nidec was giving her a look of complete shock. How could Mina explain this to her? "I uh . . . E-Elerad told Ameru to guard me. Ameru's not . . . being Ameru."

That really was the best way to put it in her mind. Ameru was being an entirely different person than he normally was. But from the look on Nidec's face, well, she obviously didn't want Mina within twenty miles of Ameru. "And you _agreed?_ Why . . . why the _hell_ . . . look, you and me need to go speak to Elerad about this."

Mina sighed as she shook her head. How could she explain to Nidec why she had agreed? Before she could even try Nidec reached for Mina's hand, mentioning that she wasn't going to let Mina drag herself this low. In reply Mina moved her hand and backed away. She was surprised by the clear anger in Nidec's eyes at Mina's actions. "What is _with_ everyone today!? First that damn Retaby almost _kills_ me for no reason and now you're letting _Ameru_ of all people guard you? Ameru is an immature _brat_, and I will _not_ tolerate you being forced to stoop to his level! If you won't stop it, _I _will!"

With that Nidec left, fuming in anger as she marched towards Elerad's mansion. Mina could only stare in shock, although eventually she remembered what she and Ameru were supposed to be doing and went for the forest.

After about half an hour of searching for a good spot Mina found a clearing that she could see well from behind a nearby tree. Alright, now she just had to wait. As she leaned back against the tree Ameru got Mina to jump out of her skin for what had to be the third time now.

He didn't do anything repulsive, and he didn't look any different. It was more that he was being so quiet that Mina kept forgetting he was there. She kept getting startled when she turned around and saw him.

This time she asked why he wasn't saying anything, and she was deeply startled when he stated 'because you told me not to'. She hadn't realized he was still following that order. "I . . . you can speak, I guess."

Ameru simply stated 'okay'. To her surprise it took almost a full minute for Ameru to actually _use _that right. "So . . . I-I just want to make certain on this. Girls . . . _don't_ like it when I say those things?"

The question was completely unexpected. As Mina looked back at Ameru, she suddenly realized he must have been thinking about that ever since she had told him that. Had he _honestly _thought that they actually _liked_ it? Was _that_ why he kept doing it? "How did you ever get it in your head that we liked you making cheesy pickup lines?"

"Emily liked them."

What? Mina raised an eyebrow as she opened her mouth to ask who Emily was, but before she could ask she suddenly realized what the answer was. But . . . n-no, it _couldn't_ be. How could . . . no, she had to be wrong. There was no way Ameru could possibly have had a girlfriend before. She-she must have been a family member or something. "Who's Emily?"

To her surprise Ameru cringed at the question. But then he spoke, and to Mina's complete shock Ameru told her that Emily had indeed been his girlfriend. But . . . "H-how? How could you . . ."

Actually, asking Ameru how the hell he could have had a girlfriend was probably a bad way to word it. But Mina _had_ to know, how could someone like _Ameru_ have a girlfriend? "I uh . . . what-what was she like?"

She didn't expect the smile that came to Ameru's face. When he spoke, Mina was startled to hear . . . it was almost _awe_ in Ameru's voice. "She was one of a kind. Emily was a very hyper person who never took no for an answer. She couldn't bear the thought of staying still all of her life, so we were always traveling. I met her four years ago, and when she was by my side . . . I couldn't believe how good that felt. Someone actually cared about me."

Mina watched, partially amused, as Ameru leaned against a tree with a large smile on his face. She decided to keep the conversation going. It was obvious that Ameru enjoyed talking about this. "What exactly do you mean 'one of a kind'?"

The smile on Ameru's face only grew wider. Sadly, that was when they both heard a branch snap behind them. Both Mina and Ameru quickly turned to look, and Mina felt her heart stop when she saw what had stepped on the branch.

Just like Mina had when she first saw this thing, Ameru mistook them for a dragon. Mina shuddered when the creature chuckled cruelly towards them. "Close, but not quite. I'm a giant crimson rock lizard +Anima."

With a gulp Mina backed into the clearing. She didn't understand. They were deep within the human territory! How did this +Anima get here!? The +Anima gave a cruel chuckle as she began walking towards Mina and Ameru. That was when Ameru again startled Mina. He didn't back away from the +Anima. Ameru simply stood there, keeping the tip of the spear pointed towards the terrifying +Anima as he calmly demanded the +Anima to leave. Mina hadn't known Ameru was this . . . _brave_.

Granted, it was a completely useless effort. The +Anima simply gave a 'hah' before whipping its tail towards Ameru, catching the top of the spear with enough force to break the tip right off. Mina saw Ameru cringe as he dropped the now-useless spear, although she was rather touched when Ameru put himself in-between Mina and the +Anima.

The two of them backed into the clearing, their focus on the +Anima. It took Mina a few seconds before she realized she still had a bow and arrow, and the instant she remembered that she quickly took an arrow out of the quiver on her back. But as she reached into the quiver the +Anima broke out into an awkward sprint in their direction. She didn't have enough time to nock the arrow before the +Anima would reach them!

That was when the +Anima abruptly gave a startled cry as it dug its claws into the ground, bringing itself to a halt. "_What in the WORLD!?_ I . . ."

Mina was officially baffled when the lizard +Anima slowly began backing away from them, now crouched in a submissive position. What was she so afraid of?

Both Mina and Ameru flinched when a voice came from right behind Mina. It obviously belonged to a woman, and it sounded like they were . . . disappointed, or something. "What are you doing here, Thraw?"

Mina immediately turned around to look at the speaker. She jumped when she saw a tall figure standing mere _inches_ behind her. The figure wore a large black cowl that hid all but the bottom half of her face, and all Mina could see of her was a cruel smirk that was just visible underneath their hood.

Mina wasn't sure why, but she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she looked at the cowl-covered woman. The figure focused on the +Anima, and Mina had to stop herself from sighing in relief as the +Anima named Thraw answered the cloaked figure fearfully. This figure must have been defending them!

"I-I can explain! See, I found a moose in the forest and I was chasing it over here! I-they uh, got my attention, and thanks to them the moose got away! S-so it's entirely-"

Mina flinched when the cloaked figure spoke, her casual voice sending a shiver down Mina's spine. She sounded _quite _annoyed at the lizard +Anima. "Bullshit. You would be no match for the speed of a fleeing moose, and I see no blood on the ground to indicate you injured this alleged 'moose' in such a way that you hindered its ability to run. What you are _really_ doing is using hunting as an excuse to hunt down humans."

Mina gulped as she tried to motion to Ameru that they should leave. However the figure standing behind Mina placed a firm hand on Mina's shoulder, giving a cruel chuckle as she did so. The hand was pushing down on Mina's shoulder just enough to be painful. Thraw spoke up, obviously trying to regain control of the situation. "So what are _you_ doing here? J-just because you're . . . well, _you_ doesn't mean . . ."

"Doesn't mean _what?_"

Thraw got Mina to give a slight grin when she backtracked, obviously trying to find a way to speak to this figure that wouldn't anger her. "I-I just . . . I'm really startled to see you . . . you know, outside of your home. I-it's a very rare sight."

The figure gave a 'hmm' as she put her other hand on Mina's shoulder as well. As she spoke, Mina felt the figure putting a little more force on Mina's shoulders. "That is true. I suppose you've earned yourself an explanation, Thraw. What happens when a fighter does not fight for some time? They lose some of their skill. This even applies to me. Since I've eradicated Elerad's spies, there is likely going to be a long time until my next interrogation. In order to keep my skills as an interrogator sharp, I must practice my interrogation techniques on someone. And I must say"

Mina felt all the blood drain from her face as the figure whispered in Mina's ears. "_I think I've found that 'someone'._"

That was when the reality of the situation hit Mina. This figure was only defending them so _she_ could claim them. And if Mina understood this correctly, that meant that the other +Anima would probably have been the better way to go. The +Anima named Thraw looked just as startled.

But it was Ameru's reaction that surprised Mina the most. Ameru actually grabbed Mina's arms and, with a firm pull, caused Mina to slip out of the figure's clutches. In fact he used so much force that she fell over. Once she had hit the ground - using her arms to shield her face - Mina rolled over. She wanted to keep the robed figure in her sights now that she knew that figure was a more terrifying enemy than the lizard +Anima. She turned _just_ in time to see the robed figure slam her right elbow against Ameru's forehead. It was obviously a well-practiced maneuver, and Mina gulped as Ameru's body went limp. The figure had just knocked out Ameru with only _one_ hit.

That same figure then wrapped an arm around the falling Ameru's stomach, casually lifting his unconscious body and placing it on her shoulder. Mina gulped when she saw the cruel smirk on the figure's face. When the cloaked figure spoke next it was with a voice that held a sadistic malice. "Interesting. It's not often I get a volunteer."

Mina gulped when the figure began walking towards Mina. She tried to find her voice, but the only thing Mina managed to get out was, 'W-who _are_ you!?' To her surprise the figure froze in place, and Mina heard a startled cry from the lizard +Anima behind her. "Who is - _how can you __**NOT**__ know!?_ Are you really _that_ stupid!?"

While that +Anima was obviously willing to go on, the figure held up a cowl-covered hand towards the lizard +Anima, who immediately went silent in reply. Then the figure started changing. Mina watched in horror as the bottom part of the cowl ballooned outwards until a large spider's abdomen snuck out of it, and as two pairs of spider legs soon joined the figure's original legs, which themselves were changing into spider legs as well, Mina realized she was talking to a black widow +Anima. The figure's hood shifted slightly, and when the woman looked down at Mina there were two large spidery fangs in front of the +Anima's mouth.

Mina heard the figure laugh a very cruel and demonic laugh before she spoke, her voice slightly distorted by the fangs. "My name is an ominous warning said fearfully by +Anima and humans alike. My name is a threat used to undermine the courage of those who would question Unibas' rule. My name is a psychological weapon wielded to petrify even the bravest warriors. Child, my name is Lexa."

All color drained from Mina's face. She knew that name. That was the same name Nidec had said yesterday, when Mina had asked about rescuing Demodo. She remembered how Nidec had told her about Lexa being a terrifying cannibal. And now Mina was less than ten feet away from Lexa and at her mercy.

Lexa soon turned herself back into a human form before giving Mina a cruel smirk. Mina gulped, but to her surprise Lexa turned her attention to the lizard +Anima. "What are_ you_ smiling about, Thraw? You _lied_ to Unibas. You told him you were _hunting_ today. And yet here you are, deep within human territory and obviously here to attack humans. Get back to our side of the forest and get hunting."

The lizard +Anima spoke quickly, obviously in a panic now. "Lexa, just listen to me! I can ex-"

"_Now._"

The word was spoken with a very terrifying voice. Mina couldn't help but shudder at the sheer danger promised in that one word should the lizard +Anima not obey Lexa's command. She couldn't blame Thraw for immediately turning around and bolting into the forest, obviously intending to obey the command. Now it was just Mina, Lexa, and the unconscious Ameru on Lexa's shoulder in the clearing.

When Lexa took a step in Mina's direction, something inside of Mina gave way. Her fight or flight response triggered, and she knew well that she stood no chance against this monstrosity. Mina quickly got to her feet and sprinted out of the clearing, going as fast as her legs could carry her.

All she could think about was the many terrifying things Lexa could do to her if she caught up. Her paranoid mind told her that Lexa was following right behind her, bearing down on her as a wolf bearing down on a deer. It certainly didn't take Mina long to reach the city. She didn't stop running though. In fact, if Nidec didn't see Mina running like a bat out of hell and perfectly intercepted the terrified hunter, Mina would probably have kept running until she had passed out from exhaustion.

Not to say that Mina didn't try to keep running. She frantically struggled against Nidec's hold, and if two of Elerad's ghosts hadn't seemingly appeared out of nowhere and forcefully restrained Mina she would probably have succeeded to get away. The way it was, Nidec and the two ghosts forcefully restrained the still-struggling hunter, and soon Nidec spoke. "Mina, _calm down!_ What the hell happened!?"

Mina screamed that Lexa was following behind her. That was all it took. Nidec and the two ghosts immediately looked behind Mina, and when they did Mina managed to kick herself free. She tried to take off again, but this time to her horror a lasso made of a white and thick substance perfectly landed around Mina's waist. She screamed as she was pulled off of her feet and went flying over to the source, which she was certain was Lexa.

It was only when Mina was slapped on the face with a strong hand that Mina finally focused. When she looked behind her she was completely startled to find it _wasn't _Lexa that had lassoed her. It was _Elerad_. Mina wasn't caught in spider thread. Elerad had caught her using the white rope he normally had wrapped around his torso. As Mina took deep breaths Elerad firmly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Now, what happened?"

Mina spoke quickly, telling all four of them about how the giant crimson rock lizard +Anima had almost attacked them. She then told them how Lexa had intervened, and how Mina had first mistaken it for an act of kindness until Lexa had revealed she had intended to use Mina in order to practice her torture techniques. Mina ended her explanation with the fact that Ameru had attempted to save Mina, and how Mina had eventually bolted for her life.

That was when Mina suddenly realized what she had done. Ameru had attempted to save Mina, and in return she had abandoned him to Lexa. She didn't voice it, but Mina was now hoping Elerad would have some idea on how to save Ameru from that fate.

Throughout her explanation all four of her listeners had listened patiently. One of the ghosts mentioned the fact that Ameru was now in Lexa's clutches, but didn't go into detail on any plan on how to help him out. Nidec deeply startled Mina when she simply stated that Ameru deserved his fate. However, Elerad's reply was so unexpected that Mina's mind refused to understand it the first time he spoke. "Wait, what was that?"

Elerad didn't look nervous at all. In fact, he had a slight grin on his face as he leaned against a nearby building. "I _said_ 'do you want to make a bet with me?'"

The question was so unexpected that it took another repeat before Mina fully understood what he was saying. "A bet?"

Elerad nodded towards a disbelieving Mina. "I bet that Lexa's going to bring Ameru back here alive and relatively unharmed."

Mina couldn't believe it. She was only more confused when she saw the two ghosts giving Elerad a dumbstruck look. "You . . . you're _betting_ on it? But . . . but you're cheap! You barely pay us anything and yet you're _betting_ on this!?"

Elerad simply smiled at the two dumbstruck ghosts. "Yes, I'm betting on this. If you don't believe Lexa will bring Ameru back alive and relatively unharmed, then you can bet against me. That's how a bet works after all."

Mina watched as one of the ghosts shook his head. "Lexa's not one to let someone go no matter what. Why would you . . . whatever. If Lexa does not bring back Ameru alive by tonight, you have to increase our pay."

Elerad simply grinned at the ghost. "Here, I believe this should be a good bet. For every day that passes without Ameru's return, I double your pay for that day. But _if_ he is returned, then each ghost that takes the bet has to work for the next week free without complaint."

Mina finally snapped. "_Ameru's in trouble and you're making a __**bet**__ on his fate!?_"

To her surprise Elerad simply smiled at Mina. "Ameru's _not_ in trouble. Anyways Mina, you should take the day off. I know Lexa likes to give traumatic first impressions."

_That was the __**point!** _If Lexa was willing to do THAT, then Mina didn't _want_ to know what she would put Ameru through! Mina couldn't believe it as Elerad then went back to his bet. She eventually stormed away from him and the ghosts as the ghosts accepted the bet.

"Mina?"

Mina immediately turned around to find Nidec standing there and looking at her. To her surprise, Nidec gave Mina a sympathetic look. "Mina, it will be okay. No one likes Ameru, and it was a stupid idea for him to have been your guard. No one is going to blame you for his fate. Okay?"

Mina couldn't help the slight glare she gave Nidec. Nidec asked what Mina was doing when Mina turned around and began walking away from Nidec. "I'm not going to just leave him there, Nidec! There's got to be _someone_ that will help me rescue him."

Without saying another word Mina walked away from Nidec, intent on forming a group of people who would help her rescue Ameru.

* * *

><p>What an unexpected turn of events! Ameru is now at Lexa's mercy, and only Mina cares at all! Why is Elerad not helping? Will his ghosts finally get the raise Elerad refuses to give them? Will Mina succeed in rescuing Ameru?<p>

The next chapter hopefully won't take too long. Here's the list again, although I'd like to note that the only real difference is the inclusion of Elerad's ghosts, and that's more because I like them so I decided to add them.

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1

Update 1/1/13

. . .  
>*rechecks writing*<br>[If she really thought about it she probably couldn't have dragged the moose back to the +Anima side by herself anyways, so it would be a waste of time to try catching it.]  
>. . . Oops. Thanks for catching that. Yeah, that was a mix up.<p> 


	67. Unexpected Circumstances

Hi!

**_Chapter 64_**: Tachine wakes up the next morning after having a nightmare about the boy who almost got her killed. In a bad mood she accidentally slams the door in Krej the parrot +Anima's face. The two of them converse for a little bit before Yena appears and argues with Krej. The argument ends with Krej flying away, and Yena tells Tachine that they think they have a job that's good for her.

**_Chapter 65_**: Ameru is guarding the warehouse. After getting lost in his thoughts, the girl named Nidec appears and begins harassing him. The other guard drives Nidec away, and while speaking with Ameru that guard is revealed to be Retaby, the same person who betrayed Tachine. Not long after that talk Tachine's job is revealed when she tricks Ameru into lowering his guard and knocks him out. After catching up with Retaby by brutally murdering him, Tachine flees for the +Anima side of the city. But on her way back to the +Anima side, one of Elerad's ghosts - this one notably female - has light conversation with Tachine, and after revealing that Zacyr used to have a pet spider the ghost leaves as quickly as she appeared.

**_Chapter 66_**: After having her hunting time interrupted, Mina is ordered to allow Ameru to guard her. To her surprise she finds a side of Ameru she didn't know existed, including the fact that Ameru once _did_ have a girlfriend. Sadly, their chat was rudely interrupted by Thraw the giant crimson rock lizard +Anima. (Un)fortunately, a figure appears that begins chastising Thraw, who is revealed to be Lexa. After knocking Ameru unconscious Lexa terrifies Mina, causing her to flee for her life. After telling Elerad about it and witnessing Elerad making a bet over Ameru's fate, as well as Nidec trying to 'comfort' Mina, she soon comes to the conclusion that she has to find someone to help her save Ameru.

Ameru has been captured by Lexa. Will he get out alive? And how is Oroco doing? Wasn't he going to spy on Lexa?

* * *

><p>Oroco had to stifle a yawn as he resumed his spying. Currently Zacyr and Ryca were in a bedroom obviously meant for Zacyr. Oroco was actually surprised by how bad of a condition Zacyr seemed to be in. Zacyr was sitting on his bed and obviously felt very ill. Did he consume something that didn't agree with him yesterday, or was this solely from the obvious stress of his situation?<p>

After stifling another yawn Oroco leaned against the wall of the room he was in. This room was the perfect spot to spy on Zacyr from. It had an excellent view of the window which led into Zacyr's room and allowed Oroco to see into most of Zacyr's room.

Still . . . this had to be the most boring thing Oroco had ever done. He soon scratched at an itch on his back with one of his long emu legs. Let's see here, what orders did he give Krej and Thraw before? If he remembered correctly he had told Thraw to spend time as a hunter. While Thraw the long-named lizard +Anima had stated a long time ago that she hated hunting and would prefer to be a fighter, fighters were often busy fighting against the human side and Oroco needed to be sure Thraw wasn't going to be busy doing something if he needed her . . . expertise.

Krej, as far as Oroco knew, was currently conversing with the group of +Anima that Zacyr had been traveling with. But what really confused Oroco was that Krej normally didn't take this long to -

"Hi Oroco!"

_**WHAT THE HELL!?**_ Oroco jumped pretty damn high into the air before he quickly turned around. Krej immediately blushed and hurriedly apologized, but once Oroco managed to get his heart beating again he waved it off. "S-sorry, I didn't hear you enter the room."

Krej again apologized. Oroco actually was kind of embarrassed about his reaction. He hadn't seen Lexa in the past hour or so through the window, and he kept worrying Lexa would show up when he least expected it. Eventually though he shook his head to clear his thoughts, and asked how it was going on Krej's end. He was startled when Krej explained that Thraw had signaled for Krej, and when Oroco learned that Lexa was currently deep in the human side of the city, well . . . he couldn't help the grin that came to his face. "That means that if we attack quickly, she won't be able to stop us."

~Lexa~

Lexa briskly walked through the forest, carrying the boy on her shoulder. She was getting a bad feeling about this. Oroco had ordered Thraw to be a hunter today, and considering that Thraw had decided to attack humans she obviously did not want to hunt. In spite of the obnoxious brat Oroco was to Unibas, Oroco was a very caring person when it came to his subordinates. He wouldn't put Thraw in the hunter position against her will unless he was up to something.

What was more Oroco did not like Zacyr in the least. Unibas had told Lexa how Oroco had called it a tactical disadvantage to allow a human in +Anima territory. That fact brought a slight smirk to Lexa's face. Oroco had no idea what Zacyr _really_ was.

About this time Lexa noticed the trees thinning. She was reaching the +Anima side of the city. Before she got any closer to the city Lexa looked at the boy on her shoulder. The child was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking up. There would be no point in striking him on the head again. He wouldn't wake up in the small amount of time that it would take Lexa to reach her home.

As such Lexa confidently entered the city. Her eyes glowed with content when she heard the several cries of shock and alarm. As she walked through the street Lexa knew every eye was focused on her. Even though the street was crowded passerby made sure to give her a _very _wide berth. It didn't bother her in the least. This was how it should be. Prey should _always_ be wary when a predator approaches, lest they become her next meal.

It didn't take Lexa long to reach her home. When she got there Lexa was surprised when her front door swung open and a terrified Oroco sprinted out of the building. Lexa watched with amusement as Oroco fled into a nearby alleyway, obviously under the belief that he was being pursued by something menacing. How interesting. This must have been either Zacyr or Ryca's handiwork, or perhaps a combined effort. Oroco obviously believed he had seen something terrifying. Lexa would have to ask the two of them about this later.

But the first thing Lexa had to do was bring her victim to the interrogation room. After about a minute of hard work Lexa had the boy spread eagle against the wall with his back facing the room. This was something she had been meaning to try recently. Lexa's theory was that, should the one being interrogated not be able to see the interrogator, it may increase their apprehension of the situation.

Lexa began feeling the boy over for any religious artifacts. She knew what she was doing. Lexa had a massive collection of prayer books in the room to the right of her interrogation room. She would read through them in her spare time, searching for clues as to what that specific religion promised its followers after death.

Lexa had learned through trial and error that nothing helped to eradicate a person's fear of death better than religion. It didn't matter the religion, they all held a belief that the good would be rewarded after death and those that sinned, or didn't believe in that specific religion, would be damned for eternity. Thus, if the person died while doing a good deed - such as withholding important information - it wouldn't scare them because they believed they would be rewarded in death.

But Lexa had learned ways around this clever defense mechanism that her prey used. Once the religion was learned it was a simple process of finding some way to remove that comfort. Unfortunately for Lexa she soon found that the boy had no religious artifact on him. Either he didn't follow a religion or else he simply had no artifact dedicated to his religion.

She was rather surprised to find he had no personal belongings on him either. After another thorough search of the boy she soon concluded for certain that he merely wore armor and clothes. How strange. That eradicated the notion of blackmail. No matter, there were other ways to torture someone.

Eventually Lexa decided she would focus on this later. The boy was unconscious, and there was no reason for her to wait here until he regained consciousness. As such Lexa decided that now was a good time to check up on Zacyr and Ryca.

With that goal in mind Lexa left the interrogation room and casually walked up the stairs. She was surprised when she heard hurried movement in the room she knew the boys were in. Was the noise a direct result of her footsteps? If so, that likely meant that they were setting up either a defense mechanism or they were trying to hide the fact that they were doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.

The movement in the room stopped about when Lexa reached the top floor. Needless to say, she was very intrigued now. She walked to the room she knew Zacyr and Ryca were in, although she couldn't stop herself from sneering in disgust as she looked down the hallway at the room she had originally told Zacyr to stay in. What remained of that door was an eyesore, and it irked her that Zacyr's girlfriend had bashed down that door while visiting Zacyr with Lerigna.

Still Lexa tried to focus on the task before her. She wanted to do a quick check up on Zacyr to see how he was doing physically and mentally, and of course she wanted to see how Ryca was doing. Ryca hadn't sounded all that thrilled when Lexa had told him to spend some time with his best friend today.

When Lexa attempted to open the door she was intrigued when she found it would only open a small amount. Lexa looked inside the room through the crack, and she couldn't help the grin that came to her face. Staring back at her was a figure that was about a head taller than Lexa, wearing a black cowl that Lexa immediately recognized as one of her own. The plan was obvious when Lexa recognized the startled face underneath that figure's hood to be Zacyr's.

"_Oh __**crap!**__ L-Lexa!?_"

Lexa's grin only broadened as she lightly kicked the door, overpowering the hand Zacyr was pressing against the other side of the door. The figure immediately stumbled and, to Lexa's amusement, broke into two pieces around the middle. As the top half of the figure - Zacyr - fell backwards and hit the ground, the bottom of the cowl slipped off of a clearly startled Ryca.

When Lexa saw the looks of alarm and embarrassment on the two boys' faces she had to fight back a laugh. She pretended to be annoyed as she faced the two boys, even crossing her own cowl-covered arms and leaning against the doorway. "You have ten seconds to explain to me why you are wearing one of my cowls_._"

Zacyr obviously fell for Lexa's acting. He hurriedly got to his feet, obviously convinced he had less than ten seconds to live. But before he could even start his explanation Lexa let out quite a bit of hearty laughter. She couldn't help it. The sight of the terrified boys in front of Lexa, one wearing a cowl _far_ too large for himself, just forced the laughter out of her.

The trick was brilliant in her eyes. To anyone else who had opened the door, Zacyr's red eyes and the robe would have fooled the person into believing they were looking at Lexa. The only flaw with the plan was that they obviously had difficulties getting the height right. Lexa was taller than the average person, but Zacyr and Ryca were both shorter. So Zacyr had ridden on Ryca's shoulders to try and match Lexa's height. While they had overestimated Lexa's height, the disguise obviously worked well enough to scare anyone else away. Once she finally finished laughing Lexa smiled at the two boys. "A fantastic trick you two. I'm guessing that this is the reason I saw Oroco fleeing for his life?"

Ryca smiled at Lexa, and she grinned when Ryca began giggling. "He backed himself right over the _railing! _We thought he had hurt himself, but when we opened the door more -"

Both Lexa and Ryca turned when they heard Zacyr gasp. They found him clutching at his stomach, obviously in pain. As a panicked Ryca tried to ask Zacyr if he was alright Zacyr stated that it was just him getting re-used to the Lihalune in his system. Lexa watched as Ryca helped Zacyr to the bed, where Zacyr laid down. Lexa felt a grin come to her face. It appeared Zacyr was, at least mentally, doing fine. There was enough stability, in fact, that Lexa was sure she could tell him a secret.

"By the way, I've been meaning to tell you this since you got here. Thank you, Zacyr."

Zacyr immediately looked up at Lexa with a look that nearly got a chuckle out of her. He was clearly dumbstruck. "Huh? Thanks for what?"

Lexa smiled as she reached towards Ryca. She saw Zacyr's eyes fill with alarm, but that gave way to shock as Lexa gently rubbed Ryca's head. It was kind of amusing, really. Lexa didn't need to say a word. She was actually impressed when Zacyr figured it out immediately. "_**RYCA's your son!?**_"

Instead of giving a response, Lexa turned around and exited the room. She would let Ryca explain this one. This was Ryca's punishment for hiding that fact from Zacyr. After all, that fact was the _sole_ reason that Lexa was defending Zacyr. This was her thanks for Zacyr being the friend that Ryca had needed.

Lexa was a bit lost in her thoughts at this time. In fact it was only when she heard a sound from the interrogation room that she even remembered her target. She couldn't help the cruel smirk that appeared on her face as she casually began walking down the stairs. It was time to begin practicing. When she reached the room she casually opened the door and looked inside.

The boy was still immobilized, but now his head was moving slightly. While Lexa was planning to start the practice immediately she frowned as she realized something was off. The boy wasn't trembling at all. He turned his head partially when Lexa slammed the door shut, but not enough to see her.

Lexa made no sound as she walked towards the boy. How strange. She may not have started the practice yet, but it was rare someone could stay in her presence without trembling. Only Zacyr, Ryca, and Unibas had so far managed that feat, and none of them could do so if they had been in the boy's position. Well, there was _one_ other exception. Lexa would never forget that one.

Still, she had to focus. "I see you're awake."

When he replied, Lexa again got the feeling that something was off. The boy's tone was calm and casual. He didn't stutter once, and there was no fear in his voice as he asked her a question. "Are you going to kill me?"

How bizarre. She had no idea someone could ask that question so . . . so _casually_. What an unusual person. "What is your name?"

The instant the boy replied Lexa flinched and took a few steps back. "_Ameru?_"

That was all it took. She was rather amused when Ameru immediately turned his head in an attempt to look at her. "You know me? _How?_"

Lexa couldn't help the slight smirk that came to her face. She walked over to Ameru and began removing the spider silk holding him to the wall. As she did so she spoke to him casually. "Oh yes. You're about all Elerad speaks to me about these days."

Of course the boy immediately turned and looked at her in surprise. She was expecting it. Very few people knew that Elerad and Lexa talked to each other. With a slight grunt Lexa tore off the last restraint and caught Ameru before he could land awkwardly on the floor. She then set him down before speaking to him. "This war is not between Elerad and me. We are acquaintances that met each other about . . . nineteen years ago."

Lexa sighed as she leaned against a wall. She still remembered that day well. But she had to focus now. She hadn't known the boy who she had captured happened to be Ameru. Not that it was a terrible thing. This was a perfect opportunity to find the answer to the question Elerad had asked her not too long ago.

With that in mind Lexa looked Ameru over. She paid close attention to his eyes, his facial expression, and his overall health. Within mere seconds she had her answer, and she told Ameru to stay in the room while she went to speak to someone. She was sure Ameru would obey, since he obviously didn't care what happened to him anymore.

As such Lexa exited the room. She was rather amused to find Ryca had just come down the steps to the first floor, and he looked at her in surprise. "Really? It hasn't even been two minutes, did whomever you are interrogating already snap?"

Lexa shook her head. "Circumstances have changed. Could you tell Jill that I want her to watch Zacyr until I get back?"

"Jill? _Oh,_ you mean Doctor Roo?"

Lexa rolled her eyes before nodding. 'Doctor Roo', what a ridiculous nickname. As Ryca exited the front door, obviously going to get Jill, Lexa sighed and leaned against the wall. Jill's building wasn't too far away. She'd easily get here within a minute or two. As such Lexa waited about thirty seconds before she headed back to the interrogation room.

She found Ameru standing in the middle of the room. While he had obviously been in thought before Lexa opened the door he was now looking at her. Lexa let out a sigh before she walked up to Ameru. She casually lifted him and slung him over her shoulder, not bothering to knock him out this time. He asked where they were going, and Lexa let out a sigh. While Ameru didn't need to know _why_ she was doing what she was doing, she guessed he could know where she was taking him.

"I am returning you to the human side."

* * *

><p>I had a hard time writing from Lexa's point of view. The personality is easy enough to get, but I still wanted her to maintain that air of mystery and terror. At the same time, I wanted to show that she DOES have a softer side that only Ryca can really bring out.<p>

Here's the list again! No change, though.

[Initial Group]

Tachine: Fox  
>Kshtsi: Jellyfish<br>Sarysi: Scorpion  
>Zacyr: Awesomeness<p>

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	68. Cat Fight

**_Chapter 65:_ **Ameru was guarding the warehouse. The other guard working there - revealed to be the same person who was entirely responsible for Tachine's initial distrust of people - abruptly drives Nidec away when she begins taunting Ameru, but is soon killed by a deeply startled Tachine, who only knocks Ameru unconscious. She then runs into one of Elerad's ghosts - a female one - who casually shares a secret with Tachine before going her separate way.

**_Chapter 66: _**Mina's hunting is interrupted by one of Elerad's ghosts. She is brought to Elerad, who soon reveals he wants her to allow Ameru to guard her. While speaking to Ameru, she finds that there's more to him than meets the eye. Sadly, he is soon kidnapped by Lexa, and the chapter ends with Mina deciding to gather people to help her rescue Ameru.

**_Chapter_** _**67**: _Oroco learns from his group that Lexa is not defending Zacyr at the moment, and decides to try pulling off a quick assassination. However, it's soon revealed - from **_Lexa's _**point of view - that Oroco was scared off by a trick Zacyr and Ryca had devised. After revealing that Ryca is her son, Lexa decides to move on to interrogating the boy she kidnapped, only to learn that she kidnapped _Ameru_. While she doesn't fully reveal her motives, she ultimately decides to return Ameru to the human side, and has Ryca call Doctor Roo (Jill) to defend Zacyr while Lexa brings Ameru back to the human side.

Now Ameru is being returned to the human side. However, Mina doesn't _know_ that. How has her attempt to form a rescue group gone during this time? And why does Nidec hate Ameru so much?

* * *

><p>Mina almost tore her hair out as the man in front of her laughed. "<em>Excuse<em> me? Help _Ameru?_ Even if I cared about _him_ little lady, he's been captured by _Lexa_. It's best to just leave him to his fate."

Without saying another word the man walked away, still chuckling. Mina just couldn't believe it. Why wouldn't anyone _help!?_ Th-this made no _sense!_ With a huff Mina leaned against a nearby building. She had to focus.

Okay, so the situation hadn't changed at all. Ameru was still captured. She had to get him out of there as quickly as she could. So far she had to have asked at least fifty people. Out of those fifty people, she had found forty five or so of them believed Ameru deserved his fate. The other five, while feeling bad for Ameru, refused to help Mina rescue him on the grounds that it would probably anger Lexa.

"_There_ you are, Mina."

Mina immediately turned her head to find Nidec running up to her. Nidec was breathing heavily, and she explained between breaths that she had been trying to figure out where Mina had run off to. Mina almost immediately asked if Nidec had changed her mind about helping her rescue Ameru, and to her annoyance Nidec sighed. "Mina, you don't understand. I can understand that you feel guilty about what happened, but . . . for crying out loud, it's _Ameru!_ He's not _worth_ a suicidal rescue mission! In fact, he _deserves_ this fate!"

Mina immediately glared at an obviously startled Nidec. "Why? What makes him deserve this fate, what justifies letting him be tortured by a sadistic _cannibal!?_"

Nidec almost seemed dumbstruck. When Mina demanded an answer, Nidec's answer came with a few stutters. "Why? Because . . . because he's Ameru, o-of course. He has harassed every single girl on the human side with his, his _obsession_ at getting a girlfriend! _Don't you __**get it!? **_The _only_ thing that he _obviously_ wants a girlfriend for is _sex!_ He's a perverted little _bastard_!"

Mina immediately frowned. While she had believed that earlier, that didn't explain how he had acted earlier today. She was going to bring it up, but before she could both of them turned when they heard a startled scream. Both Nidec and Mina looked towards the source, and Mina was startled to find quite a few people, Elerad and his ghosts included, looking at the rooftop of a nearby building.

Mina immediately recognized the figure standing up on that rooftop from the nightmarish experience she had had not even an hour ago. It was Lexa. But what really surprised Mina was that Lexa was holding Ameru over her shoulder. She was startled when Lexa casually lifted Ameru off of her shoulder and tossed him into the air. Lexa then leapt off of the building, breaking her fall with a roll before perfectly catching Ameru. Mina was caught off-guard when she realized Ameru was not only _alive,_ he was fully conscious.

Mina watched as Lexa casually walked over to Elerad, who the ghosts immediately encircled in an obvious attempt to protect him. However the ghosts - and everyone else for that matter - flinched when Ameru spoke up, lamely stating hi to Elerad. Elerad let out a slight chuckle before he returned the greeting. As he did so, Lexa lightly tossed Ameru at Elerad, who quickly helped Ameru to his feet. "Today's just not your lucky day, is it Ameru? First that +Anima thief, and now _Lexa?_ I'm just going to give you the rest of the day off."

Mina was surprised when Ameru thanked Elerad, but Lexa soon spoke up. Whatever Lexa was going to say Mina would never know. Lexa never had the chance to say it. Just about everyone jumped as Nidec bellowed out a loud '_**WHAT**_'. Even Lexa looked at Nidec, obviously surprised, as Nidec gave her a murderous glare. "_**We've had to put up with Ameru's shit for MONTHS! He FINALLY ends up in a well-deserved fate, and you're just letting him weasel his way out of it!? What kind of psychotic cannibal ARE you that you can't bring yourself to kill or torture someone who DESERVES it!?**_"

Nidec actually had the _gall_ to walk directly up to Lexa and keep shouting directly at her _face_. Lexa _clearly _hadn't expected it, although Mina was worried when she saw the amusement that appeared on Lexa's face as Nidec continued. "_**I call BULLSHIT! You can't be this psychotic FREAK that calls herself Lexa, she NEVER lets her prey go like this! You have to be some sort of imposter that's using her god-awful reputation to -**_"

Mina, and everyone else for that matter, flinched when Lexa made her move. But unlike the traumatizing horror scene Mina was expecting to witness all Lexa did was gently put a finger in front of Nidec's lips and make a gentle 'shh' sound. "Hush, the adults are talking."

That was it. As Lexa turned and looked at Elerad Mina foolishly thought it was over. But the instant she saw how red Nidec's face got she realized Lexa was waiting for Nidec to make the first move. When Nidec stormed over to a distracted ghost and took his sword, Mina paled as she saw the cruel gleam that appeared in Lexa's eyes. This was _exactly_ what Lexa wanted Nidec to do.

Nidec swung the sword at Lexa, but to Mina's shock Lexa grasped Nidec's hand by the wrist with one hand while simultaneously ripping the sword out of Nidec's grip with her other hand. Lexa moved fast and fluently, grasping the sword by the hilt with one hand while yanking a startled Nidec forwards by the wrist with her other hand.

Mina could only cover her mouth in horror as Lexa brought the sword down directly at the spot where Nidec's shoulder and her arm merged. The sword sliced right through, and as Nidec fell back into a sitting position Lexa stood there, still holding Nidec's now freshly-severed right arm in her grip and casually dropping the sword at Nidec's feet.

Nidec was clearly in shock. She held a shaking left hand to the bleeding stump that had just moments ago been connected to her right arm. Mina foolishly believed Lexa was done with her torture. Indeed, Lexa even looked at Elerad as if she had just shooed Nidec away like a little child. But before she could speak Nidec snapped out of her shock and spoke again. "M-my . . . my _arm_ . . . h-how dare you!?"

At this Lexa actually sighed, and Mina could only stare in shock as an outraged Nidec picked up the sword again. But when she swung it at Lexa, Mina was caught off-guard when Lexa casually used Nidec's severed arm as a _shield_. Nidec obviously didn't expect it from the way she gasped. The sword stopped mid-swing, and Mina was startled when Nidec then dropped the sword and actually _shuddered_.

The event wasn't missed by Lexa. Indeed, Mina saw a strange sparkle appear in Lexa's eyes as Lexa focused her attention on Nidec. "So you can't bring yourself to harm your arm? Interesting. I wonder what happens if I . . ."

Lexa trailed off as she looked at the severed arm in her grasp. Then - oh god - Mina watched in shock and horror as Lexa brought the arm to her mouth. Mina saw Nidec's eyes open wide in horror as Lexa dug her teeth into the forearm of the severed arm, taking a large bite before she focused on Nidec again.

The effect it had on Nidec was terrifying by itself. Mina could only shudder when Nidec actually began _crying_. Nidec brought her hand to the still-bleeding stump at her shoulder as she began _pleading _for Lexa to give back Nidec's arm.

Lexa herself now had a very malicious grin on her face as she watched Nidec's reaction. She obviously had no intention of stopping. Instead she now grabbed the forearm of the severed arm with both hands, and Mina paled as she realized what was about to happen. There was only time to cringe before she heard a sickening _crack_, quickly followed by an earsplitting scream from Nidec.

Mina shuddered when Nidec abruptly stopped screaming. She watched as Nidec's eyes rolled up, her now-limp body quickly caught by one of Elerad's ghosts before it could collapse on the ground. Had she just . . . _fainted?_ As Elerad demanded the ghost to get Nidec to safety and bandage her wound, Mina shuddered. H-how could Lexa _do_ that to someone!?

Every eye was on the ghost when he sprinted towards the nearest building, carrying the limp and one-armed Nidec. There wasn't much time for Mina to think about that though. When Mina looked back towards where Lexa had been she paled when she realized Lexa was nowhere to be seen.

"_Very_ interesting."

Oh no. Oh god no. Mina shuddered violently when she felt a hand grab Mina by the shoulder. H-how had Lexa gotten behind her!? When Mina turned and found Lexa mere _inches_ away from her and reaching for Mina's throat, Mina immediately closed her eyes. She couldn't watch this. She couldn't watch Lexa kill her.

She didn't hear the footsteps rapidly approaching from Elerad's direction. In fact it was only when she heard Ameru shout '_leave her alone_' that she suddenly realized Ameru was trying to save her. By the time she opened her eyes she was startled to find Lexa quickly backing away as Ameru forced his way in-between them, pointing a spear at Lexa's face.

For the most part Lexa didn't seem all that surprised. She only sighed as she casually reached into her robe, grabbing out Nidec's severed arm and tearing a chunk out of it before looking back at Ameru. While the act again got Mina to shudder, she was completely startled when Ameru didn't even flinch. Was he _actually_ unaffected by this at _all_?

Granted, it was obvious Ameru stood next to no chance at all to stop her. Lexa casually grabbed the top part of the spear and yanked it out of Ameru's hands. Lexa obviously didn't see him as a threat. She merely eyed the spear then eyed Ameru, as if she was rather amused. "A _spear?_ For _you?_ No, this is the _worst_ weapon for you."

As she spoke Lexa placed the tip of the spear against the ground and stomped on it, snapping it off before she lightly tossed the wooden pole left to Ameru, who made no attempt to catch it. Mina couldn't believe it, was Lexa _mocking_ Ameru? But . . . why would she return him if . . . th-this made no sense!

As she was trying to figure it out Lexa abruptly kneed a startled Ameru in the groin, and casually pushed him out of the way before reaching for Mina again. Mina was startled when Lexa actually reached _behind_ Mina and casually grabbed the bow Elerad had given her off of her back. "I'm borrowing this."

That was all she said. Lexa simply walked past a petrified Mina, obviously intending to head back to the +Anima side. But this time Mina was startled when Elerad spoke to Lexa, sounding irritated. "Damn it Lexa, can't you go _one day_ without torturing someone? Nidec didn't deserve _that_."

Lexa looked at Elerad, and Mina was startled to almost see _respect_ in Lexa's eyes as she addressed him. "The last time we conversed, you asked me if I could see it. I now have my answer. I see it."

Poor Mina had no idea what Lexa was talking about, but she did see Elerad sigh at Lexa's words. However, he was silent as everyone watched Lexa walk into an alleyway. Once she was completely out of sight Elerad abruptly grinned at the three ghosts around him. "I assume you realize I won the bet?"

Mina was only half amused when the three ghosts swore and crossed their arms. "_Fine_, we'll work free for one week."

"Two weeks. We doubled the wager, remember?"

That ghost cringed before mumbling that he didn't have any proof that they did. It was obviously a half-assed attempt to deny it, but as Elerad laughed Mina found her thoughts turning towards Ameru. That was the _second _time he had stood up to Lexa in an attempt to keep Mina from being hurt by her. And yet, Lexa didn't torture him at all. What had happened between him and Lexa?

* * *

><p>From the moment I thought up Lexa, I wanted her to be terrifying. This chapter is the culmination of that desire, where she does something so terrifying that she takes a confident, prideful person and actually gets them so terrified that they start <em>crying<em>. Originally it was going to be a one-shot character that died in the same chapter they were introduced - like Cody, Cory, or Ace - but after looking at how many characters I already _have_, I could only grin as I thought of having Nidec get what she deserved and then some.

I know it may seem a bit of a long shot to say Lexa can just waltz into the human side without any opposition, but honestly. Have you EVER seen a bunch of rabbits gang up on a large wolf just because the wolf wasn't supposed to be there? (If you have, send me a picture: I would PAY to see something like that XD) I'd like to see you stand in front of her and tell her to get the fuck out of 'your side' of the city. Don't get me wrong, she'd be totally screwed if everyone attacked her. It's just, who would DARE to attack her?

But for all the badassness Lexa is, she's still just one +Anima. Oroco's group is likely to realize that Lexa isn't home at the moment. Will they manage to reach the vulnerable Zacyr? Find out in the next chapter!

Oh, and here's the list again!

[Initial Group]

Tachine: Fox  
>Kshtsi: Jellyfish<br>Sarysi: Scorpion  
>Zacyr: Awesomeness<p>

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	69. The Guardians

**_Chapter 66_**: Mina's hunting is interrupted by one of Elerad's ghosts. She is brought to Elerad, who soon reveals he wants her to allow Ameru to guard her. While speaking to Ameru, she finds that there's more to him than meets the eye. Sadly, he is soon kidnapped by Lexa, and the chapter ends with Mina deciding to gather people to help her rescue Ameru.

**_Chapter_** _**67**_: Oroco learns from his group that Lexa is not defending Zacyr at the moment, and decides to try pulling off a quick assassination. However, it's soon revealed - from **_Lexa's _**point of view - that Oroco was scared off by a trick Zacyr and Ryca had devised. After revealing that Ryca is her son, Lexa decides to move on to interrogating the boy she kidnapped, only to learn that she kidnapped _Ameru_. While she doesn't fully reveal her motives, she ultimately decides to return Ameru to the human side, and has Ryca call Doctor Roo (Jill) to defend Zacyr while Lexa brings Ameru back to the human side.

**_Chapter 68_**: Lexa boldly enters the human side of Wralb (the name of the city) and returns Ameru to Elerad. After publicly terrorizing the naive Nidec by slicing off Nidec's right arm and psychologically torturing her until she actually _faints_, Lexa casually takes Mina's bow - knocking Ameru out of the way when he tries to defend Mina - and leaves Elerad with the answer 'I see it too'.

Alright, this chapter is a bit short compared to the other chapters. This is because a) it's pretty straightforward, and b) no events happen following directly after this one which are truly affected by this chapter, so I couldn't come up with a viewpoint switch that would work.

* * *

><p>Oroco sighed as he and Krej walked up to Lexa's building. <em>This <em>time, they would get Zacyr. That goddamn trick Zacyr and Ryca had pulled on him wouldn't work twice! He blushed when Krej giggled, stating that it _was_ pretty funny how Ryca and Zacyr had tricked him. Hey now, he hadn't expected to open the door and find an almost _flawless_ copy of Lexa standing there!

In fact if Krej hadn't watched the entire thing through Zacyr's bedroom window, Oroco would have had no _clue_ that he had been tricked! Krej was sure getting a kick out of it though. She obviously thought it had to be the funniest thing in the world from how much she was giggling. Oroco was _sure_ Krej would never let him forget it.

Ugh, he had to focus. This time he had _seen_ Lexa exiting the building. While he hadn't seen Ryca leave the building, Oroco knew he wasn't much of a threat. That meant that Zacyr was practically defenseless right now, especially considering that he was obviously feeling ill when Oroco had last seen him.

"Hey Oroco."

Both Oroco and Krej turned around to locate the speaker. Oroco was surprised to find Thraw the . . . whatever-the-long-name-of-it-was lizard +Anima walking over towards them. Krej greeted her happily, although Oroco asked why Thraw wasn't hunting. Thraw simply huffed before nodding towards Lexa's building. "I felt I would be more useful here."

That got Oroco to sigh, although he had to admit he felt quite a bit safer with Thraw helping them infiltrate the building. While she was nowhere near Lexa's fearsome reputation, Thraw wasn't exactly delicate herself. Soon Thraw asked how they were going to do it, and Oroco stated he wanted to make sure Lexa hadn't left some sort of defense for Zacyr. While Thraw seemed rather surprised, Oroco heard Krej giggle and whisper to Thraw that she'd tell her later what happened. Trying to ignore the comment, Oroco entered Lexa's building through the front door with Krej and Thraw entering right behind him.

Of course, the scene in front of Oroco was so unexpected that he could only stare in shock. He heard both Krej and Thraw give startled cries as well, although Oroco was amused when Krej almost immediately gave an '_Aww_'. Standing about five feet in front of them with a look of fear on his face was a young red-haired toddler. In specific he looked at Thraw, and it wasn't long before the child turned around and began walking away from them as fast as his little legs could carry him. "_Mama! __**Ma-ma!**_"

Oroco flinched when a figure jumped down from the second floor directly in front of the child. Oroco stared at the creature as it grabbed the toddler, with the toddler quickly scrambling inside a pouch on the creature's stomach. This was . . . "Doctor Roo?"

The kangaroo looked at Oroco's group with what was undeniably a smile on its face. "What's up, you three?"

Oroco was at a loss for words. Doctor Roo was the _doctor_, what was she doing in _Lexa's_ building? What was _worse_, she had brought her _child_ in here!? As he gawked at her in shock Thraw let out a slight growl. "What are _you_ doing here?"

They were only partially surprised when Doctor Roo put her small hands about as close to her hips as she could get them without bending over. That had to be the most common pose Oroco saw her in. "What am _I_ doing here? What am _**I**_ doing here? I think a more concerning prospect is what _**YOU**_ are doing here. Why are the three of _**you**_ here?"

Oroco sighed. But before he could even flinch Doctor Roo spoke again. "Trying to kill Zacyr, huh? Well, it's a good thing that Lexa told me to guard him while she was away."

All three of them flinched at that. _Doctor Roo_ was guarding Zacyr? Oroco didn't like this, what was Lexa thinking? Sure Doctor Roo _talked_ big, but that didn't mean that she could take on three people in a fight. Eventually Oroco found the answer. Doctor Roo was the doctor. She was a very important +Anima who saw several patients a day. To kill her would be a _disastrous_ act that none of the other +Anima would approve of.

Still, if they could just knock her out, then they could move on to Zacyr. In fact, Oroco was starting to get an idea to how he could pull off this kill. But first they had to deal with Doctor Roo. "We are going to reach Zacyr. If we have to knock you out first then we will."

He didn't expect the gleam that appeared in Doctor Roo's eyes, and he _certainly_ didn't expect her to get into a fighting stance. She simply chuckled as she beckoned towards the startled trio. Eventually he shrugged. It must have been a bluff. "Don't kill her. Just knock her out."

With that Krej took to the air as both Oroco and Thraw charged at Doctor Roo. He was startled when Doctor Roo abruptly leapt high into the air and _flawlessly_ intercepted the startled Krej with a kick from above, sending her crashing into the ground. Doctor Roo then leapt off of a wall, and a startled Oroco had to move quickly when Doctor Roo landed where he had been. She was _fast!_

When Thraw got Doctor Roo's attention Oroco raced over to where Krej had landed, feeling relieved when a shaken yet mainly unharmed Krej got to her feet. "I-I forgot kangaroos can jump like that."

Oroco simply sighed in relief before he heard Thraw give a startled cry of pain. Both he and Krej turned to find, to their amusement, that Doctor Roo was hopping up and down on Thraw's back. She would launch herself over four feet into the air before landing with a solid _thud_, and it was clear a _greatly_ annoyed Thraw was unable to get her to stop.

After sharing a chuckle at Thraw's predicament both Oroco and Krej raced over to help her. Oroco's plan was to intercept one of Doctor Roo's jumps with one of his own, granted to him by his powerful emu legs. However Doctor Roo immediately noticed them coming towards her and leapt off of Thraw's back, landing a little bit in front of them.

Oroco wasn't prepared for what Doctor Roo did next. Nothing could ever have prepared him for it. Doctor Roo reached into her pouch, and to Oroco and Krej's shock Doctor Roo grabbed out her son and held him out in front of her and facing the two of them. _**"HYPNOTIZE THEM WITH YOUR CUTENESS!"**_

Both Oroco and Krej immediately screeched to a halt, ending up just inches away from the terrified toddler's face. As both of them were reeling in shock Doctor Roo abruptly turned around, her tail catching both Oroco and Krej in the side and launching them into a wall. Oroco heard Doctor Roo chuckle before she looked at her son with a smile. "See? I _told_ you that you could do it! Oh, who's the cutest boy in the whole world?"

The look of . . . it was almost _awe_ on the child's face told Oroco that he thought he had actually stopped them. And . . . in a way, Oroco guessed he did. He couldn't _believe_ that Doctor Roo had done it, but he couldn't deny that it had worked. How was he supposed to react when someone he was fighting suddenly put their own _child_ in front of his face?

Still, as Oroco and Krej got to their feet an obviously outraged Thraw charged at Doctor Roo from behind. Oroco was surprised when Doctor Roo immediately leapt out of the way and over to where Oroco and Krej had landed, then actually handed Krej her own _son_. "Keep him safe while I deal with lizard girl."

Krej absentmindedly held onto the poor toddler, and before she could say anything Doctor Roo leapt at Thraw. The kid immediately reached towards the kangaroo, frantically calling for 'mama'. Oroco couldn't help the smile that came to his face when Krej immediately started trying to comfort the kid. "It's okay Joey, mama will be okay."

The kid only began crying. While Krej immediately tried to find a way to calm him down, Oroco sighed. "He's scared of you because you have a _beak_, Krej."

With an abrupt '_oh_' Krej immediately exited her +Anima form. Oroco couldn't help the smile that came to his face when the child's look of terror immediately changed into a look of awe. It wasn't long before Krej was going in and out of her +Anima form, with the young toddler clapping every time she did so.

About this time Oroco flinched when Thraw slammed into the wall behind him, and when he looked at Doctor Roo she was balancing on her tail with her legs stretched out towards the wall Thraw had hit. Thraw was clearly unconscious as she hit the ground. Oroco could only cringe. Thraw was out, and Krej was too kind of a person to let a child go unsupervised. That meant it was up to Oroco to deal with Doctor Roo.

Unfortunately, when Oroco looked back at Doctor Roo he realized too late that she was making the first move. He found Doctor Roo in mid-jump towards him. Before he could even _flinch_ Doctor Roo had Oroco pinned, her large legs pressing down on his arms as she leaned close to his face. Oroco had no way to defend himself as she used his head like a punching bag, giving a savage war-cry of 'She-ah-la-la' and punctuating every 'la' with another punch. It didn't take more than five seconds before Oroco's head hurt too badly for him to even _think_. Taking advantage of that Doctor Roo got off of him and hit him hard in the head with her tail, hard enough that he went out like a light.

* * *

><p>Now, what exactly is the point of this chapter? This one is two-fold. 1) To show why Lexa chose Jill (Doctor Roo) to guard Zacyr, and 2) I think it's funny :)<p>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	70. Friendly Banter

**_Chapter_** _**67**_: Oroco learns from his group that Lexa is not defending Zacyr at the moment, and decides to try pulling off a quick assassination. However, it's soon revealed - from **_Lexa's _**point of view - that Oroco was scared off by a trick Zacyr and Ryca had devised. After revealing that Ryca is her son, Lexa decides to move on to interrogating the boy she kidnapped, only to learn that she kidnapped _Ameru_. While she doesn't fully reveal her motives, she ultimately decides to return Ameru to the human side, and has Ryca call Doctor Roo (Jill) to defend Zacyr while Lexa brings Ameru back to the human side.

**_Chapter 68_**: Lexa boldly enters the human side of Wralb (the name of the city) and returns Ameru to Elerad. After publicly terrorizing the naive Nidec by slicing off Nidec's right arm and psychologically torturing her until she actually _faints_, Lexa casually takes Mina's bow - knocking Ameru out of the way when he tries to defend Mina - and leaves Elerad with the answer 'I see it too'.

**_Chapter_ _69:_**Oroco and his group attempt to take advantage of the fact that Lexa has left Zacyr 'defenseless'. Unfortunately for them, they learn that Lexa left Doctor Roo there to defend Zacyr. A disbelieving Oroco attacks along with Krej and Thraw, but Doctor Roo completely dominates them using superb speed, impressive jumping abilities, and even her own child.

I noticed that the story's intended protagonist hasn't got the spotlight in a while. So I made this chapter :)

* * *

><p>Zacyr awakened when he heard a loud bang from somewhere outside of his room. Ugh, his head was <em>killing <em>him. He had forgotten just how lousy he had felt the first day he had taken Lihalune. And to make matters worse the demonic eye on the wall told Zacyr that the other potion had worn off now. Until Lihalune built up in his system Zacyr would have to rely on his other senses to confirm whatever he was looking at.

On the bright side, Zacyr hadn't had a single dream during his short nap. If his stomach and head didn't feel so lousy right now, he would probably have been pretty happy. Now that he thought about it . . . man, Lihalune was _fast_ with the dream suppressant part. Zacyr only remembered a small amount of a dream last night. It just got all fuzzy after a tiny bit. All Zacyr really remembered about it was something about a full moon.

Zacyr looked around his room, and couldn't help but feel kind of disappointed when he didn't see Ryca. Well, there went the 'terror woman' plan for fooling any more 'visitors', as Ryca had called it. Then again Zacyr knew that Ryca probably had a lot to do. Zacyr wasn't going to hog all of Ryca's time.

"_Hey, what are you doing!?_"

_Ouch!_ Zacyr winced as his sensitive ears protested to the shouting. It was coming from outside his room, probably from the first floor of Lexa's building. Was that Doctor Roo?

"_Put that thing away, there's a __**child**__ in the room!_"

This time Zacyr covered his ears. His ears felt awfully sensitive, likely due to how light-headed he felt. He could _just_ pick up a reply from a stern voice he recognized to be Lexa's, although he couldn't catch the words. Eventually Zacyr tried to go back to sleep, almost determined to sleep through the day.

Unfortunately for him it just wasn't happening. After a few minutes of fruitless attempts to get back to sleep Zacyr decided to just sit up. Okay, what could he do to pass the time? He reached into the pack next to his bed, the same one he normally carried with him. He was surprised when his hand closed on a large and aged book, at least until he pulled it out and recognized it to be the _Etur._

Hmm, he wondered . . . after a bit of thought Zacyr grabbed out the book and opened it to the first page. He almost smiled at what he saw. The glyphs that once held no meaning to him were now all recognizable. However, that did not mean he could understand them perfectly. He soon began concentrating on the first page, subconsciously mumbling as he tried to decipher the strange shapes. "I could . . . say that thisis . . . no, _this is_. I could say that this is a s, story about a y-young girl who changed all of our . . ."

What? Uh . . . 'L, I, V, E, S', what did that spell? Leaves? No, that couldn't be it. It seemed like that would be a very weird sentence to make, although he guessed it could work. Maybe it was a saying back then? He frowned in concentration as he mumbled the letters out loud, trying to make sense of it.

Zacyr was so focused on the sentence that he didn't notice his door opening. Indeed, it was only when he heard someone say the word 'lives' that he looked up and saw Lexa leaning against the doorway. While he blushed he suddenly realized that Lexa had given him the answer, 'I could say that this is a story about a young girl who changed all of our lives.'

He thanked Lexa, although he was surprised - and understandably nervous - when Lexa walked over to the bed and sat next to him. She didn't say anything at first, and it took a while for Zacyr to work up the nerve to ask her if there was a problem. He felt rather relieved when Lexa assumed a very casual stance. "Not at all, Zacyr. I simply have time on my hands and I felt like talking to you."

Oh. Zacyr couldn't help but blush at that, although he paled when he realized there were a few red spots in Lexa's cowl. Was that . . . _blood?_ Lexa followed Zacyr's line of sight, and against his wishes she apparently decided to explain it by reaching into her cowl and grabbing out - to Zacyr's shock and horror - a freshly severed arm. She almost got him to throw up when she casually took a slight bite out of it.

"What is this to you?"

The question was so unexpected that Zacyr looked back at Lexa, who nodded to the severed arm. "This arm, what is it to you? If it was your choice, what would you do with it?"

Zacyr gulped before he stated he would probably have not touched it, and have left it lying where it was. Lexa let out a small sigh as she put the arm back in her cowl. "I thought so. But why do you wish to pass it by? Why exactly does the sight of this arm cause you to shudder?"

Zacyr blushed as he tried to determine if his answer would piss Lexa off. Eventually he took a chance. "I guess . . . it makes me think of the fact that my own arm is just as removable. I mean . . . what if it was _your_ arm?"

"If one of my arms is severed, I'd eat it too."

The revelation got Zacyr to look at Lexa in complete shock. She gave him an amused grin in reply. "Did you think I wouldn't? If my arm ever gets severed then its new use would be as my snack. I would likely take the humerus - the bone in the upper arm - and sharpen it into a weapon. In doing so my arm would still have a use to me even when not connected to me."

Zacyr could only stare at her in shock. I-it sounded so _wrong_, and yet . . . she had a point. He was surprised when Lexa let out a sigh and nodded to the window, to the outside world. "I don't understand the concept of burying perfectly good meat under the ground. A corpse is only a large piece of meat in my eyes, no matter whom or what it was before. That being is gone from this world forever, and they left their body behind. Why insult their memory by refusing to put their body to _any_ use? Instead people dig holes in the ground, throw in the corpse, and let the worms eat it. What kind twisted respect is _that_?"

Zacyr didn't have an answer. He was _deeply_ startled at how Lexa could justify her acts, and how she could do it in a way that he couldn't argue against it. However, Lexa soon chuckled as she gave Zacyr a grin. "Still, I've learned something very interesting today."

At this Lexa again grabbed out the severed arm. "This emotional attachment even appears in limbs lost. I never knew just how _attached_ people get to their limbs. I'll probably do a bit of experimenting later, but my current theory is that a person forms a mental attachment to their own limbs. That mental attachment only grows stronger when the arm is physically detached from the body. I was quite surprised to see just how much it traumatized the girl."

Okay, uh . . . Zacyr eventually decided to change the subject, asking if there was anything else Lexa wanted to talk about. While Lexa let out an amused chuckle and set the arm back in her cowl, Zacyr was surprised when Lexa next grabbed out a short bow and handed it to Zacyr. "I got this from a young female on the human side. Tell me, what do you see?"

While Zacyr raised an eyebrow in confusion he looked the bow over. He was used to looking at bows. Besides for string and rope, Zacyr knew how to make a special bowstring, and he had a lot of experience with bows. "It's an okay bow. The wood's from a relatively young oak tree. That gives it . . ."

Wait. Something was off with the bow string. Zacyr immediately focused on the bowstring, and was completely caught off-guard at what he saw. "What the fuck? This bowstring . . . but how? I-it's made with the same material I use to make string and rope. What's more -"

At this Zacyr pulled back the string, and marveled at the tension. "Whoever made this string . . . I don't know what they did differently, but this bowstring is superior to the ones I make. It's not made by my mother. My own weaving skills outshine hers, but _this_ . . . it outshines even _mine_. Who _made_ this?"

Lexa gave Zacyr a slight grin before she stood up, lightly taking the bow from Zacyr's hands. "This is a standard-issue bow used by the human side, string and all. From my understanding they're made by the human leader, a man named Elerad."

Zacyr frowned as he went into thought. The name meant little to Zacyr. How did they know how to make his family's secret bowstring? And if they knew how to make the bowstring, did they know how to make his special rope too? This Elerad . . . had he somehow stole the secret to Zacyr's family trade?

Unfortunately for Zacyr, he was quite painfully reminded of his current problems when his stomach cramped up, and he almost doubled over in pain. As Zacyr began to recover from the unexpected pain, Lexa casually told Zacyr that he needed to get more rest. Without saying anything else Lexa left the room, and it wasn't long before Zacyr decided to take Lexa's advice. Once Zacyr got past the first day of side-effects he'd focus more on this 'Elerad', but for now he simply needed to rest.

* * *

><p>I worked hard to get into Lexa's head for this chapter, to find a way for her to be able to justify her source of food. Personally, I think I did well.*<p>

STILL no change to the list, but here it is anyways :)

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Deceased)<br>Cory (Deceased)  
>Retaby (Deceased, for real this time)<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1

**_~IMPORTANT~_**

*_The author would like to note that he does not approve of cannibalism in any form. The argument provided by Lexa only applies to Lexa's way of thinking about it. By reading this, you consent that you shall not use Lexa's argument to start a religious cult based on the act of consuming the flesh of fellow humans._


	71. Oroco's Final Attempt

Hi again! I finally finished up this chapter. It feels like I rushed this one a bit much, and I'll probably edit it somewhat to make it easier to follow in the future, but for now I believe it's good enough that others can see it.

Oh, and I'm doing something different with the recap this time, as you can see. I want to make it a bit more clear which part is the recap.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Let's Recap:<em>**

**_Chapter 68_**: Lexa boldly enters the human side of Wralb (the name of the city) and returns Ameru to Elerad. After publicly terrorizing the naive Nidec by slicing off Nidec's right arm and psychologically torturing her until she actually _faints_, Lexa casually takes Mina's bow - knocking Ameru out of the way when he tries to defend Mina - and leaves Elerad with the answer 'I see it too'.

**_Chapter_ _69_**: Oroco and his group attempt to take advantage of the fact that Lexa has left Zacyr 'defenseless'. Unfortunately for them, they learn that Lexa left Doctor Roo there to defend Zacyr. A disbelieving Oroco attacks along with Krej and Thraw, but Doctor Roo completely dominates them using superb speed, impressive jumping abilities, and even her own child.

**_Chapter_** _**70**_: Zacyr wakes up and has a small chat with Lexa. After learning how Lexa justifies her bizarre diet, Zacyr also learns that the human leader, Elerad, knows Zacyr's family's secrets for making rope. After Lexa insists that Zacyr get more rest, Zacyr tries to go back to sleep while still coping with the effects of the Lihalune.

* * *

><p>Ugh, Oroco's head was <em>killing<em> him. What had happened? He let out a groan as the world came into focus. Okay, so they were . . . right outside of Lexa's building. He and Thraw were lying on the ground, and a very embarrassed Krej was standing next to them. When Oroco slowly got to his feet Krej gave him a guilt-crushed smile. "Uh . . . we got slaughtered."

_Oh_, right. They had attacked Doctor Roo, and then . . . _damn_, she was a whole lot better than Oroco thought. Oroco looked at the building, and asked Krej what had happened. A blushing Krej explained that all she could do after Oroco and Thraw had been knocked out was get them outside, with Doctor Roo happily having told Krej that she'd be happy to have a rematch.

However, Oroco began paying more attention when Krej told Oroco how Lexa had returned, seeming amused when she had seen the three of them next to the door. A little bit later, according to Krej, Doctor Roo had left the building, and Oroco's eyes opened wide when Krej told Oroco that Lexa had just left a few seconds ago. "So Doctor Roo is no longer guarding him, and Lexa just left?"

Krej nodded, and Oroco frowned. Why would Lexa leave Zacyr defenseless after Oroco's group had proven their willingness to kill him? Something was off. He soon asked Krej to fly by Zacyr's room and see if she could see anything defending him. As she did, Oroco thought about it.

So far, Zacyr has always had someone helping to defend him. Lexa was obviously concerned about Zacyr being killed. The first time it was Ryca, who had helped Zacyr pull off the 'Lexa at the doorway' trick. The second time it was Doctor Roo, who had effortlessly defeated them. Now Oroco was recuperating and Thraw was still unconscious. All in all, they weren't in that good of a position to pull off an assassination.

But on the other hand, Lexa had seemingly left Zacyr defenseless this time. While it was true she had done so the last two times, Oroco wasn't going to make the same mistakes. And while Oroco and Thraw weren't in perfect shape - Oroco's head was still killing him, and Thraw was still unconscious - Krej was still relatively well off. On top of that, Zacyr still seemed to be feeling ill. So why would Lexa leave him defenseless?

It took a while, but eventually Oroco found his answer. And when he found it, he gnashed his teeth in anger. Why hadn't Lexa defended Zacyr? She must be making a quick trip somewhere, and believed Oroco's group wouldn't recuperate in time to attack Zacyr. They were being underestimated.

But the idea of attacking immediately after a failed attempt was, of course, risky. Oroco had no idea where Ryca was, and while Ryca wasn't exactly fierce, he was a good strategist. As Oroco thought about it Krej came back into view, landing next to Oroco with a slight smile on her face. "Zacyr's rigged the door to his room with some weird white rope. I don't know what it's intended to do, but it's only for his room."

Hmm . . . eventually Oroco smiled at Krej. "Did you have enough time to talk to his group?"

Krej smiled back at Oroco. "I can get him to take down his trap and open the door. Nod when you're ready."

With a cruel grin Oroco pushed open the door to Lexa's building, looking around for a few seconds before deciding it was safe. He then exited his +Anima form, since his emu legs would leave a slight 'click' every time it hit the wood. They would only have one shot at this, and it wouldn't be good if Zacyr heard Oroco getting into position.

Before long Oroco put himself in front of the door to Zacyr's room, and he nodded to Krej. She nodded back, and Oroco grinned as Krej kicked the front door open. At the same time Krej spoke in a different voice. Oroco immediately recognized the voice to be that of the scorpion +Anima that had been in Zacyr's group. "_**ZACYR! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!**_"

Barely a second passed before Oroco heard Zacyr's startled voice from within his room. "_Sarysi?_ Oh crap! If she opens the door - I have to take down the trap!"

Oroco couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Krej had done flawlessly. She was now marching up the stairs in her human form, deliberately causing a good deal of noise while doing so. Oroco grinned as he heard Zacyr hard at work, obviously trying to disarm the trap before 'Sarysi' got to the door. Eventually Oroco heard something inside the room snap. After that the door quickly swung inwards as Oroco entered his +Anima form.

Oroco didn't give time for the startled Zacyr to even flinch. Instead he lifted one of his emu legs, placed it on Zacyr's chest, and kicked with all of his strength. Thanks to the fact that Oroco braced with his other leg Zacyr was sent back into his room, going into a roll from the sheer force behind Oroco's kick. Oroco grinned wide as he saw the marks left by his talons in Zacyr's shirt. They had him now.

Oroco grinned when he heard Krej, speaking in her mimicked voice. She told Oroco that she was going to kill him for that. He saw the way Zacyr grinned. Zacyr obviously believed Krej was actually Sarysi. Of course that grin was wiped off of Zacyr's face when Krej came into view, letting out a laugh in Sarysi's voice.

Oroco couldn't help but laugh when he saw how startled Zacyr was, and he smiled as he rubbed Krej's shoulder. "Ah, that's right. You haven't met Krej yet, have you human? She's a scarlet macaw +Anima that can mimic the voices of others."

He didn't wait for a reply. Instead Oroco sprinted towards Zacyr, picked him up with one of his feet and aimed at the window. When Oroco kicked next, he sent Zacyr right through the open window. Zacyr slammed into the side of the building next to Lexa's and began to fall to the ground, a good two or so stories under him.

But Oroco was caught off-guard when a black blur dove into view, perfectly intercepting Zacyr's falling path. Oroco gnashed his teeth as he recognized the black blur. It wasn't Lexa, this was the peregrine falcon +Anima named Lerigna!

Oroco quickly wracked his mind. Besides for the fact that Lerigna was friends with Yev, but hated Depri, Oroco just didn't know much about Lerigna. Let's see . . . he knew she had flown Zacyr into the city . . . yeah, and apparently she had developed a crush on him. Considering she was flying away from the building, she obviously intended to get Zacyr away from Oroco and Krej.

Not that Oroco and Krej were going to let that happen, of course. Oroco knew that Lerigna was the fastest flying +Anima in the city, but with Zacyr weighing her down it wouldn't be hard to catch up to Lerigna. Krej and Oroco leapt out the window, Krej taking to the air as Oroco leapt to the ground. While it was a good distance, his strong legs easily absorbed the shock of the landing.

He grinned when he saw that they still had the advantage. Krej was good at fighting in the air, and she quickly flew above Lerigna. As Oroco sprinted after them Krej went into a dive towards their target. Krej intercepted Lerigna perfectly, hitting her directly in the back. Oroco grinned when Lerigna was sent into a tumble, both her and Zacyr hitting the ground rather hard.

Krej on the other hand managed to pull out of the dive. When Oroco looked around he realized Lerigna had actually done something beneficial for Oroco by mistake. They were in the no-man's-land in the middle of the city. They were now farther away from the few +Anima that would have tried to defend Zacyr, and even if they realized he was in trouble then they would have to find them.

He was amused when he finally reached them. Lerigna looked very embarrassed as she helped a battered and bruised Zacyr to his feet. "Sorry, that uh . . . that wasn't supposed to happen."

Oroco smirked when Zacyr waved away the apology, mentioning that he was still very relieved that she was there to help. Krej and Oroco both chuckled before Oroco addressed Lerigna. "He's not getting away from us this time."

While both Zacyr and Lerigna got into fighting stances, Oroco knew this wouldn't be hard. Lerigna had apparently landed on her left arm/wing from the way she was holding it, and as such wouldn't be able to fly. Zacyr looked like he had gotten out of the 'landing' with no new injuries, but the bloody rips in his shirt - from Oroco kicking him before - and the fact that he was breathing heavily told Oroco that Zacyr was beat. What was more, he was clearly still recuperating from his illness.

Krej swooped down towards Lerigna and Zacyr, but both she and Oroco gave cries of shock as another bird +Anima entered their view. Oroco cringed when he identified the newcomer to be Yev. What was more, Yev made her side immediately apparent when she dive-bombed Krej, forcing Krej to veer off.

Oroco didn't understand. He knew Yev was friends with Lerigna, and he knew that Yev wasn't big about the idea of killing Zacyr, but he hadn't expected Yev to actually _defend_ Zacyr. What was more . . . he didn't really want to fight her. Just _yesterday_ Yev was something like a subordinate to him, until Depri had so abruptly left the group.

The situation turned from bad to worse when Oroco saw someone else approaching them. Unlike Yev and Lerigna, this one looked almost completely human save for a strangely-shaped face resembling a lion's face. He knew who this was, this was Depri.

Lerigna, Yev, and Depri then stood in front of Zacyr, making their choice obvious. While Oroco was almost willing to admit defeat, he was startled when Krej landed next to him. She was giving all three of Zacyr's defenders a _murderous_ glare, and she soon stomped her foot on the ground. "_I can't believe this!_ Yev and Depri, you fucking _traitors!_ Why are you defending him, how did you three even know he was in trouble!?"

Oroco sighed, but after Yev told Depri what Krej had said (since Depri couldn't read Krej's lips when Krej was in her +Anima form), Depri put her hands on her hips and grinned at Krej. "Ryca told us that Zacyr was in trouble. Lerigna immediately took off, and we followed when Ryca asked us for help as well."

Oroco flinched when Krej almost _screamed_ at the three girls defending their target. "_**That schizophrenic FREAK! I fucking HATE him!**_"

The outburst got Oroco to grin. However, he flinched when Lerigna spoke up, sounding rather amused. "Aww, she's throwing a tantrum. Does someone need a hug?"

While Yev let out a slight and unwilling giggle Oroco was startled to see Zacyr giving Krej a _murderous_ glare. However, it was Depri's reaction that startled him the most. Without saying a word Depri walked into a nearby building, her face completely unreadable. Had she misread Lerigna's lips and thought she had given Depri an order?

From the way Lerigna and Yev watched Depri go, it was clear they didn't expect it either. But Zacyr clearly didn't give a fuck from the way he casually walked out from behind his defenders and began advancing on Krej, actual _rage_ etched on his face. "_What_ did you just call Ryca? How _dare_ you!? No one insults Ryca and gets away with it!"

Both Oroco and Krej flinched as Zacyr continued to advance. As . . . _noble_ as he was being, Zacyr was also being very stupid. Oroco rolled his eyes, and in doing so just caught a glimpse of the figure on a nearby rooftop. The instant Oroco was able to identify who it was, he grinned and addressed Zacyr. "What, you mean that dysfunctional piece of shit?"

It had the intended effect, although to a larger degree than Oroco had expected. Now Zacyr was adjusting his course, obviously under the idea that Oroco's insult was the harshest one. Oroco smirked as he began pacing, deliberately walking towards a nearby building. Zacyr took the bait, although Oroco was startled when Zacyr actually grabbed out two daggers. No, he wasn't willing to kill over an insult to his friend . . . _was_ he?

Not that it mattered. Oroco simply stood there as Zacyr got quite close to him then smiled as he heard the very quiet noise of the figure on the building leaping into the air. To his surprise Zacyr frowned and began scanning the air, his eyes widening in obvious shock as he located the figure. He only _just _managed to back away in time to avoid being crushed by the figure.

Oroco smiled as the figure's landing stirred up quite a bit of dirt, which had the lucky effect of blinding Zacyr. As Zacyr began rubbing his eyes, obviously trying to get the dirt out, Oroco watched as Thraw emerged from the dust a mere two feet from Zacyr.

She didn't skip a beat. Before Zacyr could rub the dirt out of his eyes Thraw whipped her body around, causing her tail to hit Zacyr with enough force to launch him through a nearby window into the very building that Oroco was next to. Before the girls that had been 'defending' Zacyr could react Thraw dashed over to the building, and Oroco smiled as he held the door open for her to enter.

Thraw would have no problem killing Zacyr. Oroco immediately alerted Krej that they needed to buy Thraw time, and Krej's reply consisted of taking to the air. While both Yev and Lerigna did so as well, Krej was more experienced in aerial combat than them. She constantly harassed both of them, forcing them away from the building and stopping them from interfering.

Oroco watched the dogfight with a smile on his face. They had practically won. Both of Zacyr's daggers were lying on the ground. He had let go of one when the dirt had gotten in his eyes, and he must have dropped the other one when Thraw had hit him. Zacyr had no weapon, and he was in a building, disoriented, with a cold and ruthless killer. All they had to do was make sure that Thraw had enough time.

Krej was doing perfectly, evading both of her opponents with ease. She made sure to keep the height advantage. In fact . . . that was actually what caused her to lose. As Krej shot into the air next to a building, Oroco was completely dumbstruck when _Depri_ intercepted her with a jump from the rooftop, wrapping her arms around Krej and pinning Krej's wings to her sides.

"_**What the FUCK, Depri!?**_"

"_**HUGS AND LOVE FOR KREJ!**_"

What. Had she actually been setting this up when she had entered the building? Oroco cringed when he realized how bizarrely _effective _it was, at least in the fact that both Krej and a maniacally laughing Depri soon slammed into the ground _hard_. While both of them cried out in pain, Depri never released her hold. And that meant . . . Oroco gulped as he quickly located the fliers. Yev was dive-bombing him from the front, and Lerigna was coming from the left. This was going to be tricky.

However, everyone flinched when they heard a roar from inside the building. It wasn't Thraw's. Hers didn't sound like that. In fact, Oroco had never heard anything like it. Whatever was creating it . . . it sure as hell wasn't human. When Oroco heard a terrified scream from inside of the building he immediately turned around and opened the door. That was _Thraw_ screaming! _What was going on!?_

Oroco only got a split second to register that he was in danger. He quickly threw himself at the ground, shuddering as he heard the sound of breaking wood from about where his torso had been. There was a startled scream from Yev as Thraw's body slammed into her.

When Oroco turned to look he shuddered when both Yev and Thraw hit the ground, Thraw landing on top of Yev with a gut-wrenching crunch before Thraw literally _skidded_ farther, only stopping when she slammed into a nearby building. Oroco saw the way Thraw hit the building. Her neck took most of the force, and Oroco paled as he heard bone crack.

For several seconds no one moved or spoke, trying to register what had just happened. Yev was now lying on the ground, a look of shock and fear etched into her face. Oroco didn't need to look at her for more than a few seconds to know she was dead. Her entire ribcage was crushed, and from the wounds it was clear one of Thraw's spikes had impaled Yev's heart.

And Thraw . . . Oroco couldn't believe it. While it wasn't as gruesome as Yev's body, she was just as clearly dead. Oroco had never seen the look now forever etched on Thraw's face. She looked completely terrified. But . . . _how?_

Oroco looked back in the building, trying to understand what the hell had just happened. He found Zacyr lying on the ground and breathing heavily, the back of his shirt torn to shreds. While Zacyr made an attempt to stand his body gave way, and he fell to the ground. He wasn't dead, only unconscious.

Oroco heard both Lerigna and Depri scream Yev's name, and as they went to Yev's mangled corpse Oroco cautiously entered the building, looking around in an attempt to find Thraw and Zacyr's attacker. There was no way in hell that Zacyr could have done that. Thraw had to be over two hundred pounds in her +Anima form, Zacyr couldn't even have _lifted_ Thraw let alone launch her as far as she had flown.

But . . . there was no one else in here. When Oroco looked back at Zacyr, he felt a chill race down his spine at what he found. No, it _couldn't_ be. Oroco immediately raced over to Zacyr's unconscious body, his eyes glued to Zacyr's back. There was a +Anima mark, a spider +Anima mark. But . . . what was going on? The mark was . . . it was _flickering_. One second it would be there, then the next it would be gone. It did this for a bit of time, and Oroco couldn't look away. He had never seen this before.

Oroco was so engrossed in the spectacle that he didn't realize death was approaching him until he felt the slender hand firmly grip his shoulder. His blood ran cold as he felt the long sleeve of the cowl lightly brush against his back. Oh god. _Lexa!?_

Oroco turned his head to look at her, and he was surprised to find she was looking at Zacyr's back as well. There was legitimate _concern_ on her face as they watched the +Anima mark continue to flicker, but eventually - to Oroco's surprise - the +Anima mark abruptly vanished. When it did so, Lexa let out a large sigh. "That was too close."

There was no time to ask. Lexa abruptly grabbed Zacyr's body as she went into her +Anima form, and before Oroco could even flinch Lexa's fangs were embedded in Zacyr's shoulder. Poor Oroco could only shudder as he realized Lexa was killing Zacyr. But . . .

"Why?"

Lexa glanced at Oroco before removing her fangs from Zacyr's shoulder. "You of all people should understand the greater good. Zacyr was just responsible for the death of two +Anima. As much as I wish we could, we can't justify holding someone who will only end up killing more +Anima."

That was all that Lexa said to Oroco. She then turned around, and when Oroco followed Lexa's eyes he was startled to find Ryca standing near them with tears in his eyes. Lexa casually handed Zacyr's corpse to Ryca, telling him that because she knew Zacyr was Ryca's friend, she would let him honor Zacyr in the way he saw fit. In reply Ryca sprinted from the room carrying Zacyr, turning into a blur as he reached the street and vanishing.

"And on a related matter"

Oroco paled as he felt Lexa put one of her arms around Oroco's neck. This was it. He had made his mistake. He was going to die.

"I want you and Krej to follow me."

Oh god no. "L-Lexa, Krej had nothing to do with it. I-I'll take her punishment, it wasn't ever her fault!"

In spite of what he was saying Lexa simply called for Krej to come in. Krej immediately entered the building, shaking like a leaf. In her defense though, Oroco was shaking just as badly. To their surprise Lexa then started walking towards a staircase, repeating her order for them to follow her. Both Krej and Oroco gulped before they went to follow her.

~Ryca~

Ryca gulped as he finally reached the forest, holding Zacyr's limp body. There were thousands of thoughts going through Ryca's head, many of them desperate attempts to make Ryca believe he could slip out of this. He wanted to cry.

Ryca knew that they had planned this beforehand. This was what he, Unibas, and Lexa had all agreed to do if Zacyr ever managed to reclaim his memory, but it still felt so wrong. Ryca didn't want to make this next choice. Lexa had given Zacyr a dry bite, a bite with no poison, solely so Ryca would have a reason to take Zacyr to the forest without raising any eyelids. It wouldn't be long before Zacyr woke up, and depending on how he acted . . .

Eventually Ryca shook his head to clear those thoughts. There was still a chance. And as Ryca set Zacyr down, propping his back against a tree, he abruptly heard Zacyr cough. This was it. Zacyr was waking up. Did he remember? Ryca paled when a god-awful groan came from Zacyr. But then Zacyr looked up at Ryca, clearly confused. "Ryca? What . . . what the hell just happened?"

_Damn it, this could go either way!_ Eventually Ryca boldly asked how much Zacyr remembered, and he gulped as Zacyr clearly went into thought. This was going to be the deciding factor.

"I . . . that dragon +Anima was attacking me, I couldn't hold her off. Then . . . uhm . . . I guess she must have knocked me out. Th-thanks for helping me."

_**YES! Yes, **__yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, __**YES!**_ He didn't remember! As Ryca fought the urge to do a happy dance Zacyr looked around, clearly confused as to their new location. "Why am I here?"

Ryca was all too happy to explain. "Well after _that_ happened I did _that_ so now you're here!"

To his surprise Zacyr gave Ryca an amused grin, and Ryca blushed when he realized he was excited again. Stupid brain damage causing his stupid condition that made Ryca sound so _stupid_ when he was stupidly excited! Still he soon grabbed out a stick and began quickly drawing on the ground. He drew a very hurried circle, then perfect simulated drawings of himself, Zacyr, and Lexa . . . at least if they were all stickmen.

"Okay, so you probably notice the bite on your shoulder. That was Lexa's doing. Don't worry, it's a dry bite that was solely inflicted to convince the +Anima that had been nearby that she was killing you. So once that was put there I was told that I could have your body so I could properly 'mourn' you. Again, just an act. I brought you to the forest. And-uh"

At this Ryca walked behind the tree and pulled a packed bag into view. He didn't need to say anything more. Zacyr had clearly put it all together. "I'm . . . free to go?"

Ryca happily nodded, although he couldn't help but blush when Zacyr asked if Kshtsi, Sarysi, Tachine, and even _Ryca_ were all free to go as well. While Ryca was sure Zacyr wouldn't like the answer Ryca shook his head no, and he hurriedly went into an explanation. "But at the same time, we're not loathed by the +Anima side. I-I really wish we could let your group go as well, but we can't. Th-this is the best we can do until we win this fight. Once we do, everyone is free to go. I-I don't know how long it could take, but - but we have to do this quick. The +Anima side thinks you're dead, although we will explain to your friends that you actually were let go. I-if we're seen by a random hunter, then -"

To his surprise Zacyr cut him off with a smile. "Alright, but if you think this is the last you've seen of me then you are _wrong_. I plan to get all of my friends out of this war, including you of course."

Ryca was really touched. He smiled as Zacyr put on the pack, telling Ryca that if he needed to, Zacyr would bring a whole army of +Anima to free them. Ryca watched with a smile as Zacyr walked into the forest, waving at Ryca before he disappeared into the trees.

Once he was sure no one was looking, Ryca smiled as he did a little happy dance. _Yes!_ Zacyr was safe! He was so _relieved_! He kept dancing for a little bit, although he jumped when he heard quite a bit of laughter from behind him. Ryca turned and blushed when he saw Yena the hyena +Anima standing there with a large smile on his face. "Oh, come on! Why'd you stop?"

While Ryca felt his ears turn red Yena soon tilted his head to the sky and let out a loud hyena laugh, a call that was answered by a grunt from Unibas' mansion. Once Yena was done signaling, he smiled at Ryca. "Considering the happy dance, I'm under the impression that he doesn't remember?"

Ryca smiled as he nodded. Yena let out a smile to match Ryca's as he told Ryca that Unibas had decided Ryca was the one that could tell Zacyr's friends about them letting Zacyr leave. After letting out a cheer Ryca went into his +Anima form and began his search for Zacyr's friends.

* * *

><p>As said above, I feel like I rushed this one quite a bit. This part was hard to get to play out solely because I've thought of how I wanted it to go <em>way<em> too much. It was originally going to be much more chaotic, but thanks to a sudden revelation that I was being stupid I managed to simplify it a lot.

I probably should have re-introduced Depri and Yev in a preceding chapter, considering their last (and in Depri's case, **_only_**) appearance was 10 chapters ago, but I didn't think about doing that until I started writing this author's note. So don't be surprised if the chapter before this one is slightly expanded to include a short part about Zacyr's 'rescuers', just to reintroduce them. (I can't believe I didn't think about that sooner, actually.)

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish  
>Sarysi: Scorpion<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness (?)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger<br>Cody: Chameleon (Deceased)  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Deceased)<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis  
>Kesi: Porcupine<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle<br>Tersil: Snake  
>Xorada: Lion<br>Yena: Hyena  
>Unibas: Jackal<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon  
>Lexa: Black Widow<br>Yev: Eagle (Deceased)  
>Ele: Electric Eel<br>Tulig: Great White Shark  
>Ereth: Sloth<br>Depri: Lion  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo<br>Joey: Cute

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Deceased)  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (MaleDeceased)  
>Cory (MaleDeceased)  
>Retaby (MaleDeceased)

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	72. A Matter Of Time

I've recently become ill with a severe case of writer's block. The diagnosis was made after I noticed increased procrastination, migraines whenever I tried to work on a story, and an increased fascination for reading the Naruto manga from absolutely NOWHERE.

After spending weeks at the computer screen and staring at words upon words, I finally managed to pull myself together this morning . . . to finish the last two paragraphs of this chapter and suddenly realize that was all I needed to do to finish the damn chapter. On the bright side, the chapter is finally done. I'd love to say this proves I have gotten over my writer's block, but . . . well, only one way to find out.

Anyways *AHEM* I feel like it's about time for you to know what happened to Oroco and Krej. And possibly Zacyr as well.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Let's Recap:<em>**

**_Chapter_ _69_**: Oroco and his group attempt to take advantage of the fact that Lexa has left Zacyr 'defenseless'. Unfortunately for them, they learn that Lexa left Doctor Roo there to defend Zacyr. A disbelieving Oroco attacks along with Krej and Thraw, but Doctor Roo completely dominates them using superb speed, impressive jumping abilities, and even her own child.

**_Chapter_** _**70**_: Zacyr wakes up and has a small chat with Lexa. After learning how Lexa justifies her bizarre diet, Zacyr also learns that the human leader, Elerad, knows Zacyr's family's secrets for making rope. After Lexa insists that Zacyr get more rest, Zacyr tries to go back to sleep while still coping with the effects of the Lihalune.

**_Chapter_** **_71_**: Oroco strikes a third time, and despite Lerigna, Yev, and Depri's best efforts Zacyr ends up alone with Thraw. However, an unexpected twist occurs where both Thraw and Yev end up killed and Zacyr loses consciousness. Oroco and Lexa witness Zacyr's +Anima mark flickering into and out of existence a few times before Lexa feigns killing Zacyr. As Ryca is sent to 'dispose of the body' Lexa demands Oroco and Krej to follow her and receive their punishment. At the same time It's revealed that Ryca is actually letting Zacyr leave the city on Unibas' and Lexa's orders, although Zacyr promises to come back and help his friends.

* * *

><p>"I see."<p>

Oroco gulped as he cautiously eyed Lexa. He and Krej had just finished their explanation of their third failed assassination attempt, and Oroco was trying to prepare himself for the death he knew awaited him. Lexa's eyes were closed in concentration, and her expression was unreadable.

Still he and Krej waited for Lexa's strike. While they were both sitting on chairs and unbound, with Lexa leaning against the door to the room, they knew Lexa had them. They weren't getting out of this one alive. Oroco and Krej had deliberately disobeyed Unibas, and everyone on the +Anima side knew what the punishment for that was.

"Oroco, I believe you know what will happen next."

Oroco shivered as he nodded. He knew exactly what was going to happen. Lexa began slowly walking over to Oroco, the cruel expression on her face making her clear intentions all the more obvious. When she got close to him Oroco closed his eyes, waiting for her to pierce his neck with her fangs and the hellish agony that would follow as his entire body began dissolving from the inside.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion."

Yeah, like that promotion would . . . _what?_ Oroco's eyes flew open, and the scene in front of him was so unexpected that it took quite a few seconds for it to register. Lexa was holding out a hand towards Oroco, as if she was attempting to shake his hand. He could only slightly raise his hand, and his confusion grew when Lexa gently grasped it and gave him a gentle handshake.

"Huh?"

Oroco parroted Krej's reaction, earning himself a grin from Lexa. But . . . why would she . . . "w-what do you mean 'promotion'?"

Lexa gave the two of them a very amused smile as she crossed her cowl-covered arms. "Zacyr was placed under my care. That means that your group was pitted against _me_. It took three tries yes, but if the information you knew about Zacyr had been correct than that last attempt would have undoubtedly succeeded. I greatly underestimated you and your group. Krej"

At this Lexa shifted her gaze to Krej, who Oroco saw was simply giving Lexa a dumbstruck gaze. "You must have done a fantastic imitation of Sarysi's voice. By using _mimicry_, you convinced your target to lower his guard and take down his trap out of concern for Sarysi. And even when against two of our best fliers, you held your own until a third opponent managed to catch you. This is your reward for your fantastic teamwork with each other. However"

At this Lexa frowned and sternly eyed both Oroco and Krej. "Make no mistake. We are quite angry at you for deliberately disobeying your orders. If you do it again, I will use both of you to practice my torture techniques. Do I make myself _clear?_"

Oroco and Krej immediately nodded in sync. With a slight sigh Lexa began to walk to the door. However, something was bugging Oroco. "Uh, Lexa? I uh . . . when I was looking at Zacyr, he had a +Anima mark on his back. But it was . . . _weird_."

Lexa turned and glanced at Oroco. "I saw it too, Oroco. That is a sign that the cycle is almost ready to move to the next stage."

What? While Oroco asked what Lexa meant she casually exited the room with an 'exactly what I said', leaving a very confused Oroco alone with a just as confused Krej.

~Ryca~

Okay, let's see here. Ryca had spoken to Tachine, Kshtsi, Sarysi, Edreg, Kesi, Dancing Shadow, Tersil, and that lion +Anima named Xorada. That was everyone who needed to be told that Zacyr had left the city. Unibas had mentioned that he was going to tell everyone the lie that Zacyr had been killed by Lexa after killing both Thraw and Yev. And as Ryca listened to the people talking in the middle of the street, he realized Unibas had already gotten done with his part.

Alright, so next Ryca knew that Unibas and Lexa were going to have a meeting. Ryca really didn't want to go but he knew it wasn't his choice. So after sighing Ryca sprinted over to Unibas' mansion, reaching it in about ten seconds thanks to his _really_ fast running in his +Anima form. He arrived just in time to see Unibas entering the closing doorway, and Ryca immediately sprinted through that door before it had time to close.

"Hi Ryca."

Ryca smiled as he greeted Unibas, although they both jumped when they heard Lexa's voice from a little farther in the hallway. "Looks like we're all here then."

Yeah, it did. Like they normally did, the three of them began walking through the hallways as they spoke to each other. It was Unibas that started the conversation. "No offense Ryca, but it really does take a load off of my back that Zacyr's not in the city anymore. Still, how much did he remember?"

Ryca couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He was just so relieved. "He thinks that Lexa and I saved him from Thraw, and that he was knocked out by Thraw."

Unibas gave Ryca a smile, but to their surprise Lexa spoke up. Her voice was . . . she sounded almost _worried_. "We were lucky in several ways. What's important is that Zacyr doesn't remember it. Anyways Unibas, you will never guess who I found earlier today."

Ryca cocked his head as Unibas asked who, although Ryca couldn't hide the smile that appeared on his face when Lexa said 'Ameru'. Just like he always did when he heard that name, Unibas immediately flicked his long jackal ears in annoyance. "Good _god_, I'm sick of hearing about him. Elerad brings him up _every single time_ we send messengers to each other! I understand his concerns, but -"

"I see it too."

Ryca frowned when Unibas immediately froze mid-step. What did Lexa mean? While Ryca cocked his head Lexa continued speaking. "As annoying as Elerad is, he _has_ a point. Ameru didn't give a fuck when I attempted to torture him. When I threatened the only person that has begun to see the pain Ameru feels he immediately tried to defend her. He would have fought me to the death without any fear for his own safety."

_Wow_. Ryca couldn't believe it. "He's really _that_ brave?"

To his surprise Lexa shook her head. She then looked at a large stained window that they were walking past for a few seconds before she gave a verbal response. "No, that's not it at all. Ameru isn't brave. He no longer cares about his own survival. _That_'s why he was unafraid of me. What could I do to him that would be worse than the hell he has to go through every day? Oh, I can cause him more physical pain of course. But his suicidal outlook on life effectively shields his mind from anymore psychological damage. And of course, that's what makes him so dangerous."

Ryca flinched as Lexa eyed him and Unibas. "In all of my life, there was only one other person who was completely unafraid of me. That was twenty years ago, when I had begun feeding in this city's cemetery. A group of five or so people was sent to investigate the disturbances I caused. They saw me, and immediately tried to kill me."

Lexa let out a cruel chuckle before she continued. "After I killed them all, I walked up to one of their corpses and began feasting. That was when _he_ appeared. He was a young child, maybe twelve or so years of age, though at that time I wasn't much older than him. I couldn't believe it when the boy, with no fear or hesitation, _greeted_ me even as I took a bite from one of my kills. It really unsettled me. I had to work up the nerve to ask what he wanted. He politely explained that he was part of the group the city had sent to investigate the disturbances."

Ryca couldn't believe it. How could a kid just walk up to someone that was eating the corpses of the kid's group and just strike up a conversation!? As he sat pondering that, Lexa did something Ryca had never seen her do before. She shuddered. "I still get chills just thinking about him. He wasn't afraid of me at all. Indeed, he was _delighted_ that I was speaking to him. But after he explained what was all done in the +Anima fight ring I decided to enter it. The kid was practically beaming with joy as he told me his name was Sidas."

This time it was Ryca who froze mid-step. Sidas . . . wasn't that . . . wasn't that Zacyr's _father!?_ B-but _how?_ Ryca didn't know much about Sidas, since he had met Zacyr after Zacyr's father had left, but he did know that Sidas had deeply traumatized Zacyr _for no reason at ALL! _"I uh . . . _the_ Sidas? Like, as in Zacyr's father?"

He was startled when Lexa confirmed it, although she gave a rather amused grin to Ryca. "You know, now that I think about it you don't really know much about Sidas. Well, besides for his lack of paternal skills."

Ryca nodded. While he didn't want to hear too much, he was startled when Unibas spoke up. "From my understanding, Sidas was abandoned as a child. He was forced to grow up all on his own, and the other kids never paid any attention to him. But to do what he did, just because of _that_ . . ."

Unibas shuddered. When it was clear Unibas wasn't going to continue, Lexa took over. "I believe he snapped when he walked up to the other children and tried to get some of the attention he kept being starved of. One of the children stated that 'maybe if they ignored him, he'd go away'. Sidas didn't say a word as he walked away from the children. That night, the entire family of the child that had mocked Sidas was slaughtered. That included the child's five year old sister. A message was written in blood on a wall in their house, '_Ignore __**this**_'."

While Ryca paled, Unibas finally got his voice back. "They were only the first. One by one, Sidas killed family after family. Several of the families had done nothing to him. He was never seen on the streets anymore. In fact, no one could figure out where he was hiding during the day. By the time Sidas tried to kill Elerad, he must have had over seventy kills under his belt. Fortunately, Zacyr's mother was there, and she was able to calm Sidas down. That was the last we'd heard of the two of them before you showed up here with Zacyr's mother, Ryca."

Ryca was reeling in shock. He hadn't realized that Zacyr's mother was the only thing that kept Sidas _sane!_ Still -

"He was completely starved for attention, he lost all of his respect for life, and he became convinced that the only way to get that attention was to do something others couldn't ignore."

Unibas and Ryca both flinched, but Lexa simply let out a sigh before she continued speaking. "That's what made Sidas so dangerous. It didn't matter who he killed. It didn't even matter to him _that _he killed. All that mattered to him was that people could no longer ignore him. And Ameru is following in Sidas' footprints. He's also completely starved for attention and he no longer cares about life. Elerad is desperately trying to find a better way for Ameru to finally get the attention he craves so badly, before Ameru reaches the same conclusion that Sidas did and becomes the next Sidas."

* * *

><p>I am looking for a job, and writing stories has become the stress relief required for me to be able to continue searching for said job. Man, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be.<p>

Oh, and I probably should comment on the chapter while I'm at this . . . hmm, what to say . . . well, I do feel like I should have put a little bit more effort into this chapter. But I'm just not good at these specific types of chapters, and they give me _such_ a bad headache.

Oh! I almost forgot about the beginning part with Oroco! I'm sure that was unexpected. Which of course was why I did it :)

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:+Anima*(Gender)*~Deceased~*<br>*_if applicable_

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	73. Unexpected Interference

Hiya. It's been a while, hasn't it?

I'm not going to bother making an excuse as to my two-month lack of updates. Well, besides for the fact that Leagues of Legends is an awesome game. SO, let's get down to business.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Let's Recap:<em>**

**_Chapter_** _**70**_: Zacyr wakes up and has a small chat with Lexa. After learning how Lexa justifies her bizarre diet, Zacyr also learns that the human leader, Elerad, knows Zacyr's family's secrets for making rope. After Lexa insists that Zacyr get more rest, Zacyr tries to go back to sleep while still coping with the effects of the Lihalune.

**_Chapter_** **_71_**: Oroco strikes a third time, and despite Lerigna, Yev, and Depri's best efforts Zacyr ends up alone with Thraw. However, an unexpected twist occurs where both Thraw and Yev end up killed and Zacyr loses consciousness. Oroco and Lexa witness Zacyr's +Anima mark flickering into and out of existence a few times before Lexa feigns killing Zacyr. As Ryca is sent to 'dispose of the body' Lexa demands Oroco and Krej to follow her and receive their punishment. At the same time It's revealed that Ryca is actually letting Zacyr leave the city on Unibas' and Lexa's orders, although Zacyr promises to come back and help his friends.

**_Chapter 72_**: Oroco and Krej learn that their 'punishment' is actually a promotion thanks to their ability to slip past Lexa. Lexa leaves them with the revelation that 'the cycle is almost ready to move to the next stage'. Afterwards Ryca, Lexa, and Unibas speak to each other. The conversation starts with Zacyr, where both Lexa and Unibas are relieved that he doesn't remember what happened. The conversation then turns to Ameru, and it's revealed that he has the potential to become the next Sidas.

* * *

><p>Mina sighed as she just caught sight of a rabbit slipping into the forest. This was starting to get annoying. She just wasn't getting any game today. Soon she turned around to speak to Ameru, and was rather amused to find him spacing out again. He was doing that an awful lot today.<p>

She still couldn't believe what had happened yesterday. Ameru had tried to protect her from Lexa _twice_, and actually succeeded the first time. Had he always been so . . . so _brave_? Sure she didn't know him well, but . . . could she really have missed something like that?

Then again, there was still the matter they had been talking about yesterday before Lexa had kidnapped Ameru. Since Mina wasn't getting any game she decided to attempt to continue the conversation from yesterday. "Hey Ameru, do you remember how you told me yesterday about having a girlfriend named Emily?"

She was rather surprised when Ameru stiffened, and when he spoke it was rather curtly. "_Had. _She died."

The news deeply startled Mina, who immediately apologized. She hadn't known _that_. Uh, okay. Now this was awkward.

"I didn't . . . it was all so sudden."

Mina flinched before looking at Ameru. He was clearly in his own world as he looked to the sky and continued speaking. "We were walking across the cliff when there was a rockslide. Sh-she told me to run, and when I didn't move fast enough she pushed me out of the way of a falling rock. When I got back to my feet the rockslide was done, and she was nowhere in sight. I-it didn't really occur to me what had happened until I heard her scream from _way _below me. She had fallen off the cliff. I-I quickly went down the path until I could get to the bottom of the canyon, but . . . I couldn't find her at all. She just disappeared. I . . . but the fall was obviously too far for her to . . . I-I didn't want to keep looking just to see what was left of her."

Mina's heart cried for Ameru as she watched Ameru hug himself. He was shivering violently now as he continued speaking. "B-but ever since . . . that happened, I've been . . . what if she was still alive? I-I don't know for sure if she could have lived through it. I mean, it was a long ways down, but I don't know if she could have managed to save her life. What if . . . what if she was just lying on the ground, injured and needing help? Did I leave her corpse there, or did I leave her to die? I . . ."

Mina didn't know what to say. Ameru was obviously disturbed at the idea he might have given up on her too soon, and Mina didn't know enough about the event to disprove it. Eventually she settled with putting a tender hand on Ameru's shoulder.

Almost the instant she did so, Ameru flung himself at her. By the time she could understand what was going on, Ameru had his arms wrapped around her waist and was crying. All she could really do was gently return the hug as Ameru continued to cry. For at least a minute the two of them simply stayed there, but eventually Ameru got a hold on his emotions and let go.

Mina thought it was over, but she realized otherwise when Ameru looked up at her with watery eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore. She made me feel . . . _needed_. I want her back, but there's no way to _get _her back!"

How was she supposed to react to this? As she tried to find the answer she was both surprised and rather impressed when Ameru abruptly shook his head. "S-sorry. I just . . . that was three or so years ago, and I haven't told anyone about that."

Mina really didn't know what to say. She wanted to cheer him up somehow, but she couldn't think of a way to do so. Fortunately, the event was almost forgotten when they heard footsteps headed their way.

"I'm _telling _you Edreg, we are _in enemy territory!_ It may be only _just_, but we _are _in enemy territory!"

"How do you even _know _that, Sarysi? All the landmarks we have are trees, trees, and - surprisingly - _**TREES!**_"

Wait, Mina knew that voice. She didn't remember who it belonged to, but for some reason . . . for some reason, it pissed her off. Soon Ameru and Mina were hiding behind two nearby trees as the figures got closer and closer. For at least ten seconds Mina kept trying to figure out where she knew that voice from.

During that time, the person addressed as 'Sarysi' - female, from the voice - asked if 'Edreg' - the person with the voice that was pissing Mina off for some reason - if he had any knowledge at all about traveling in a forest. In reply, Mina heard Edreg give a low growl.

It was that low growl that caused her to make the connection. She had heard that during the battle two days ago, the one where she had tried to kill the person giving the +Anima orders. After the failed attempt, she and her brother Cory had heard that exact same growl. That meant . . .

Her suspicions were concerned when Edreg and Sarysi stepped into sight. Mina gnashed her teeth as she _immediately _recognized the fur-covered _freak _that had killed her brother. Walking next to Edreg was a girl with . . . Mina guessed they were lobster claws or something, although she had no idea what the thing attached to the girl's lower back was. It kind of looked like a strange tail that ended with some sort of stinger. Mina's hand immediately went to her bow, and as the two arguing +Anima began to walk by Mina silently grabbed an arrow out of her quiver.

Soon the two +Anima had walked by the tree, and Mina took careful aim. She couldn't help the grin that came to her face as she brought the string back, aiming the arrow at the back of the fur-covered +Anima's head.

_This is for you, Cory._

With that thought Mina let go of the bowstring, the arrow immediately taking flight for the fur-covered +Anima. But at the same instant Mina let go of the bowstring the lobster-with-a-tail +Anima abruptly shoved Edreg to the side, causing the arrow to _just _clip the bastard's left ear as it passed by _almost_-harmlessly.

Mina could only cringe as the two +Anima immediately turned to face her. Now that she thought about it . . . she probably should have thought this one through a bit harder. While she now understood that Ameru was at least willing to defend her, he was _still _trying to use a spear, and he was _still _failing pretty badly at holding it correctly.

"You're . . ."

Mina focused to find the fur-covered +Anima looking at her in clear shock. Just _looking _at the asshole got Mina's blood boiling again, and she moved to nock another arrow as she spoke. "You _murdered my brother!_"

She was rather startled when Edreg's remaining eye opened wide, but she was even more startled when she attempted to nock the arrow only to find her bowstring was cleanly cut in two. "What -"

Mina immediately let out a yelp as she heard a loud yawn come from right behind her. She immediately turned around, and flinched when she found a _second _fur-covered +Anima - this one looking a bit like a three-toed sloth - about ten inches in front of her. Once it stopped yawning the +Anima gave Mina a sleepy smile. "Name's Ereth. I'm a sloth +Anima. And just so you know, that was my boyfriend you just tried to kill."

Mina gasped as a searing pain spread across the right side of her face. She immediately brought her hand up to feel where it hurt, and was deeply startled when she found blood on her hand. On a hunch Mina looked at Ereth's claws, and she could only stare in shock when she found them covered in blood. But . . . _how?_ She hadn't even _seen _Ereth move!

"I thought sloths were supposed to be slow."

Ereth let out a slight chuckle as she stared past a dumbstruck Mina, soon giving a reply to Sarysi. "I'm fast when I need to be. I apologize, but -"

Ereth suddenly let out a gasp as she stumbled forwards, and Mina was startled to find the tip of Ameru's spear embedded in Ereth's back. When Mina looked at Ameru she was almost_ alarmed_ at the look on his face. It would have been an understatement to say that he was pissed off.

Granted, it gave way to shock as Ereth casually looked back at Ameru. When Ameru tried to get his spear back Ereth casually yanked it out of her back and broke off the tip of it. "That was a mistake, kid."

Mina heard Ameru let out a startled grunt of pain as Ereth whipped the broken spear against Ameru's gut. While he was obviously hurt, Mina was surprised when Ameru quickly grabbed the broken spear and attempted to hit Ereth with it.

Ereth let out a long and loud yawn as she casually blocked the strike, but what really got Mina by surprise was how Ameru moved next with the makeshift staff. He ended up turning around and putting his back to Ereth, but at the same time he moved so the bottom part of the staff would slam into Ereth's head.

Mina couldn't believe how effortlessly Ereth was able to block it. Ameru looked surprised too, but Ereth smirked as she brought up her foot and simply kicked Ameru in the back, making him fall to the ground. "There's no point in being creative with your strike if you can't keep up with your opponent's."

Ereth then brought back her hand, and Mina's heart stopped when she realized Ereth was going for the kill. Oh god no. Not like Cory. Not Ameru too! She tried to sprint over to them, but she flinched when a small gray blur shot past her head. Whatever it was, it slammed into Ereth's head with a solid _thump_.

Ereth let out a startled gasp of pain as the object fell to the ground next to her. To Mina's complete shock the fur on Ereth's body suddenly began disappearing, and before long a teenage girl was standing there, rubbing her obviously sore head. "Son of a _bitch!_"

During this time Ameru quickly got to his feet. Instead of taking advantage of the distraction Ameru reached for the object and picked it up. It was a small wooden stick with a metal ball on the end of it. Overall, it looked like a rather crude mace.

Mina turned to look where it had come from, and was surprised as a teenage boy sprinted past her. She didn't get to see much of him, but the one thing she found painfully obvious was that the boy was wearing a strip of cloth over his eyes. He immediately closed the distance between him and Ereth before bringing back his left hand, which held a second mace.

All in all, Mina wasn't really that surprised when Ereth managed to avoid the attack. The boy was being _way _too forward with his attack. Ereth quickly ended the fight in an extremely undignified way, slamming her knee directly into the boy's groin.

Mina almost rolled her eyes as the boy staggered backwards on shaking legs. All Ereth would have to do was tap him on the forehead and he probably would fall over. Ereth instead slugged the kid on the side of the face, though it obviously still knocked him off of his feet. Mina was almost amused as the kid tried to regain his footing, his wobbly legs making that quite the challenge.

Ereth now rubbed the back of her head, clearly still recuperating from the boy throwing his other mace at her. "_That _was for the mace to the head, jackass. Though I have to admit I'm at a loss as to what you were expecting was going to happen. You don't charge an opponent head on unless you have a death wish."

The kid gnashed his teeth in reply. Now that he was standing pretty much still Mina could look the kid over. He was pretty scrawny, and also a bit short. His blonde hair was pretty short, but also very wild. The clothes that he was wearing were pretty odd as well, consisting of a tight white sleeveless shirt that left a bit of his stomach visible and very tight black pants. All in all, he looked kind of similar to Ameru. That could be just because they both had the same hair color though. The biggest difference was the cloth tied around the kid's head and hiding his eyes from view.

Eventually Mina remembered how dangerous the situation was when Ameru dashed in front of her, putting himself in-between her and the sloth +Anima. The act clearly amused the sloth +Anima, who soon crossed her arms while shaking her head.

"What do you reckon we should do with them, Edreg?"

All eyes turned to look at Edreg, and Mina was surprised by what she saw. The fur-covered +Anima looked very flustered, and he began rubbing his left arm with his right arm. "I uh . . . I-I didn't . . . he was your _brother_?"

It took Mina a few seconds before she realized what Edreg was talking about, but it pissed her off once she did. "_Yes he was my brother, and you KILLED him!_"

She was quite willing to go on, but she was startled when Ereth spoke up again. "Ah, I see. So you want revenge."

"I don't get it."

Everyone flinched before looking at Sarysi. She was human at the moment, and had a very sincere look of confusion on her face. "Why do people take it so _personally_ when you just happen to kill someone they know? First there was him when I killed his friend and now you are pissed off because he killed your brother."

Mina couldn't believe it. This 'Sarysi' actually looked like she was being serious. Edreg soon turned to look at Sarysi with a bit of amusement on his face. He spoke to Sarysi, but Mina didn't hear what she said. At that moment a strip of cloth landed on her shoulder, and when Mina turned to look she was deeply alarmed to see how much blood was on her shoulder.

She brought her hand to her right cheek, and winced when she felt the pain. Oh yeah, she had forgotten about how Ereth had attacked her before. The white cloth seemed to be the boy's, and he seemed to be offering it as a bandage. Once she had bandaged the cut Mina turned around to thank the boy, but was startled into silence when she saw the boy's eyes for the first time.

She couldn't even tell what his eye color was. His eyes were almost completely clouded over. It was very clear to her now that the boy was blind. She soon found out that it didn't appear to be quite as obvious to Ameru, who cocked his head in clear confusion. "What's up with your eyes?"

The boy was very clearly not amused. He glared in Ameru's direction, and as Mina whispered to Ameru that the boy was blind the boy reached into his pack and pulled out a large piece of cloth. He then casually tore off a long piece and snugly tied it around his head, re-covering his eyes. While Ameru did try to apologize the boy simply ignored him, although when Mina thanked the boy for intervening before the boy did grin at her.

"_Whatever!_"

All three of them turned towards the +Anima, where a clearly annoyed Sarysi was giving them a pretty malicious grin. "You two can try to explain this _after _we kill them."

Mina inwardly gulped, but to her surprise _both _Ameru and the blind boy immediately stood in-between the +Anima and Mina, clearly ready to defend her. As Sarysi banged her claws together the blind boy banged his maces together in turn.

While the two of them charged at each other, both of them stopped when everyone heard a nearby rooster crow. Everyone in the clearing turned their head towards a tree as they heard a very abnormal clattering of hooves.

Mina didn't know what to expect. That was where the rooster's crowing had come from, and from the clucking noises that Mina was hearing the rooster was still there. The best her mind could come up with was that a farmer was traveling on a horse, and had brought one or some of their livestock along.

What soon came into view though was _definitely _not a farmer. It was a moose, but it was doing something . . . actually, a _lot _of things that Mina had never seen a moose do. First of all it was walking on its hind legs. Secondly, its front legs were folded in, and the moose was holding them as if they were wings. Thirdly, well . . . it was clucking.

As Mina, Ameru, and the +Anima all looked at the moose in complete confusion the moose brought its head back and crowed like a rooster, proving that it was the source of the sound before. At the same time Mina saw the blind boy face palm himself, although that didn't hide the fact that he had a rather large grin on his face. Then the moose looked towards the blind boy and undeniably flinched.

"Ah, _there _you are Sa! I was wondering where you had ran off to!"

Now it was _talking? _What the hell was going - _oh_, it was a +Anima! So it was just messing around before? Mina couldn't help the little grin she gave. The moose +Anima clearly saw it from the way it put its forelegs to its hips and addressed her. "What? If you could turn into a moose _and _cluck like a chicken, you'd do it too! The reactions you get are _priceless!_"

Well, she couldn't argue with the last part at least. It would certainly get a lot of weird looks. But she - and the moose +Anima - focused on Edreg when he spoke up. He sounded like he was in disbelief. "I know that voice."

The moose +Anima let out a grin, and Mina watched in partial fascination as they began to change. She was completely caught off-guard when she saw their human form though. It was a man with _huge _muscles. The man had a scar around his left eye socket, which itself was covered with an eye patch. Mina would _never _have expected this man to have a sense of humor.

"_**DAD!?"**_

That word got Mina to jump. The man wore a colossal grin on his face as he addressed Edreg. "I _knew _I'd find you sooner or later!"

Wait - whoa, wait. This man was that bastard's _father?_ How . . . well actually, Mina could see the resemblance. The man had blonde hair and a blue eye. Edreg had a blue eye as well, and Mina thought she could see few blonde highlights on his head. But . . . their personalities seemed so _different_ . . .

As she stared in shock the man let out a chuckle. He then tapped his son's fur-covered chest. "_Damn _son, I haven't seen such a hairy chest since the last time I saw your mother without her shirt on."

Huh? Mina could only cock her head in confusion as an obviously annoyed Edreg rolled his eye. "Well, now I _definitely _know it's you. But . . . how? Wh-what about the shop, what . . . why did you look for me?"

The man gave his son a gentle smile in reply, and it suddenly occurred to Mina that this was a golden opportunity to try and gain her revenge. She silently restrung her bow as the man laughed. "I put up a closed sign. 'She's back: gone until she leaves'. As for why I went looking for you Edreg, well . . . it doesn't matter what you've done Edreg. You're still my son. I just can't bear the thought of you getting hurt."

During the time that the man was speaking Mina managed to silently grab out an arrow and take aim at Edreg's forehead. For a split second before she fired, she saw Edreg look at her, and his eyes opened wide. She grinned as Edreg froze up. This was going to be easy.

But just as she was about to let go of the string, Mina flinched as she felt something push the bow upwards. The result was that, while Mina did fire the arrow, it missed by a _huge _margin. She immediately looked down at the bottom of her bow, and to her surprise she found a mace pushing upwards on the bottom of her bow. Holding onto the mace was the blind boy. He had obviously noticed her intention at the last second, and he had deliberately forced her to miss. But . . . why?

"Nice save, Sa."

Mina flinched before she, Ameru, and the blind boy turned to face the +Anima. Edreg's father grinned as he eyed Mina and continued to speak. "So call me curious, but what would you do afterwards?"

Huh? Mina could only look at Edreg's father in confusion. Her expression obviously amused the man, and as he chuckled the sloth +Anima spoke up. "It's currently four +Anima versus three humans. What's more, two of us - me and Edreg's father - would be understandably infuriated if you managed to kill Edreg. While yes it would turn the fight into a three versus three you and your friends have already proven to be no match for even _one _of us. That would be practically suicide."

The news hit Mina hard. She hadn't thought at all about how they would get away afterwards. If she was honest . . . she probably would have been fine with dying. But what about Ameru?

"So, I have a question."

Mina flinched as Edreg's father spoke up, clearly confused. "Actually, a few questions. First of all, why do you want my son dead?"

The question got Mina's blood to boil. She snapped at the man, telling him how Edreg had killed Cory. If she was honest with herself, she thought that the man would be on her side of the argument. But instead the man chuckled before gently nudging Edreg's shoulder. "Revenge, hmm? Guess who this makes me think about, Edreg."

Mina was confused when Edreg raised an eyebrow in clear annoyance. "Is this _really _the time for another of your damn jokes about mom?"

"Wrong."

While Mina saw Edreg flinch, she flinched when the blind boy stepped in front of Mina and pointed at himself. Edreg's father immediately nodded with a heavy sigh. "This kid is named Sa. According to his father not only is Sa blind, but he's also mute. I haven't heard him speak once, so I can only assume that it's true."

Really? Mina looked at Sa in surprise, but Sa was obviously focusing his attention on the man. Edreg's father continued speaking without pause. "See, his father once killed a man in a duel to the death. While he explained that the duel was honorable, the man's wife didn't think so highly of it. She felt that the man had robbed her of her husband. But she wasn't stupid. The man would easily hold off any attempts she made to kill him. So what did she do to get back at the man who had killed her husband?"

Here the man paused, clearly waiting for an answer. To Mina's surprise it was Ameru that gave the answer. "She went after his son!?"

Sa turned to face Ameru, and he gave a slow nod. After giving a nod of his own Edreg's father continued. "She brewed up a potion, and forced Sa to drink it. By the time the man found Sa, Sa was on the ground and writhing in agony. During the next week Sa couldn't leave his bed, and his eyes slowly clouded over until he couldn't see anything. The man told me that Sa hasn't said a word since he drank the potion."

Mina couldn't believe it. So because of something his _father_ had done to the woman's husband, Sa was . . . "His father must have been pissed."

She didn't expect the way Sa gnashed his teeth, but when Edreg's father spoke again Mina focused on him. "Naturally. I suspect you know what he did in reply. But in case it's not obvious . . . he did nothing."

Everyone but Sa and Edreg's father flinched. As Mina was reeling in shock Edreg's father continued to speak. "Oh, he spoke to her. He stated how he knew it was her that had done the dreadful deed, and he told her plainly that he'd never forgive her for it. But that was it. The woman's still alive today as the man's neighbor. They still hate each other, but the only time they even acknowledge each other's existence is when Sa would vandalize the woman's home."

Mina couldn't believe it. Even after all the crap the woman put his child through . . . Sa's father actually did _nothing?_ Edreg's father obviously noticed her dumbstruck gaze, and in reply he chuckled and crossed his arms. "Sa's not of the same mindset, obviously. In fact, he hates his father for refusing to harm the woman. But the man refused to continue the cycle of revenge."

"But _why?_"

Every head turned towards Edreg. He looked flustered as he repeated the question. His father smiled before he replied. "Why indeed? Perhaps he was worried about her attacking his child again. But if that was true, he could simply have killed her. I'd say that would be justified after what she did to him. Yet he didn't. Instead he thought of the future. What if killing her would enrage someone else? What if this someone else decided to go after his son again? Could he really risk that his son would be targeted again?"

After a few seconds, the man asked 'so what about you?' A confused Mina cocked her head, and so Edreg's father elaborated. "Your brother died to my son's claws. What would happen if my son died to your arrows? The cycle would continue if someone doesn't stop it. What would you die to?"

Mina frowned. She hadn't thought about it this way before. But still . . . "I . . ."

She just didn't know what to say. Just forgiving and forgetting wasn't possible. But . . . hold on. She had no one that had that strong of ties to her. _Edreg _took that from her. Even if she was killed after getting her revenge, no one would be willing to risk their lives to avenge her. Nidec and her weren't really on good terms at the moment, and besides for that Mina really didn't have many friends. Just who would -

That was when she suddenly realized the answer. Mina turned and looked at Ameru in complete shock. Now that she thought about it . . . Ameru had already proven - _multiple _times - that he'd risk his life to keep her from being hurt. He had stood up to _Lexa_ to keep Mina from being hurt. But . . . no, he wouldn't . . .

"Why are you looking at me?"

Mina snapped out of her thoughts at Ameru's words. She quickly apologized before turning to face the +Anima again. To her surprise Mina found that the +Anima had disappeared. Only she, Ameru, and Sa remained in the area. They must have left while she was looking at Ameru.

Once she realized that, she suddenly realized something else. "Hey Sa."

Sa immediately focused on her, and Mina gulped. "Are you a +Anima?"

She was almost relieved when Sa shook his head no. That meant he could . . . well, _had _to become part of the human side of Wralb. She then informed Sa that he would have to see Elerad, only realizing she had used the word 'see' when Sa tensed up. An obviously annoyed Sa marched away from them, only to walk directly into a tree. Eventually he agreed to follow them by nodding, and soon Mina was leading Ameru and Sa through the forest and back to the human side.

_Would he do it?_

That thought wouldn't stop nagging Mina. Would Ameru really try to avenge Mina if she died? Eventually she blushed as she looked back at Ameru, who immediately noticed she was looking at him. "Mina?"

She blushed again before turning her head to face in front of her. It didn't matter right now. She could think about this later. What was important now was getting Sa to the city. With that in mind Mina continued to lead Sa and Ameru through the forest.

* * *

><p>So, three things.*<p>

1. It's chapter 53 that Cory died. Just in case you want to refresh your memory, since I know that was a LONG time ago I posted that.*

2. I never fail to grin when I hear someone say 'now I've seen everything'. Believe me, you give me a few minutes and I WILL find something you have not seen. For instance*, a moose clucking like a chicken :)

3. I swear, every time I start making an author's note, people suddenly agree that they all need me to do something for them. EVERY, SINGLE, TIME! Does this happen to other people, or is it just me? I'm putting '*' everywhere that I get called away to do something.

ANYWAYS*, I hopefully will be able to get the next one done soon. No promises, but hopefully.

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:+Anima*(Gender)*~Deceased~*<br>*_if applicable_

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father: Moose (Male)<p>

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1


	74. The Breaking Point

I've got some good news AND some bad news.

The good news is that I now have a job!  
>The bad news is that I now have a job.<p>

Did I mention that I have a job now? That means I only have a fraction of the free time I initially had. Sounds like a bad thing, right? Well actually, it's not. Now I actually have an EXCUSE for taking so long to make new chapters! I don't have to think one up for every author's note!

To celebrate, I made a new chapter! I hope you like it! :)

* * *

><p><strong><em>Let's Recap:<em>**

**_Chapter_** **_71_**: Oroco strikes a third time, and despite Lerigna, Yev, and Depri's best efforts Zacyr ends up alone with Thraw. However, an unexpected twist occurs where both Thraw and Yev end up killed and Zacyr loses consciousness. Oroco and Lexa witness Zacyr's +Anima mark flickering into and out of existence a few times before Lexa feigns killing Zacyr. As Ryca is sent to 'dispose of the body' Lexa demands Oroco and Krej to follow her and receive their punishment. At the same time It's revealed that Ryca is actually letting Zacyr leave the city on Unibas' and Lexa's orders, although Zacyr promises to come back and help his friends.

**_Chapter 72_**: Oroco and Krej learn that their 'punishment' is actually a promotion thanks to their ability to slip past Lexa. Lexa leaves them with the revelation that 'the cycle is almost ready to move to the next stage'. Afterwards Ryca, Lexa, and Unibas speak to each other. The conversation starts with Zacyr, where both Lexa and Unibas are relieved that he doesn't remember what happened. The conversation then turns to Ameru, and it's revealed that he has the potential to become the next Sidas.

**_Chapter_** _**73**_: Mina and Ameru are walking around the forest when Mina spots Sarysi and Edreg, and she remembers how Edreg murdered her brother Cory. This results in a completely enraged Mina attempting to kill Edreg, which fails and backfires when another +Anima - Ereth - comes to help Edreg, and beats up Ameru in a fight after injuring Mina. Ameru is saved by the timely arrival of a blind, mute boy with an attitude problem, who quickly takes Ameru's place as a punching bag. Before the fight escalates any more, a moose +Anima pretending to be a chicken enters the fray and calms down both sides. After giving a brief speech on how revenge is an endless cycle the +Anima leave, and Mina decides to bring Sa to the human side of Wralb.

* * *

><p>"I see."<p>

Elerad had to force himself not to roll his eyes as 'Sa' cocked his head to the side. Mina had just gotten done explaining how this kid had appeared and tried to help them escape a nasty situation. With a sigh Elerad thought about this.

Elerad was actually offended at how half-assed this spy's disguise was. Unibas of all people should have known Elerad would recognize the warning signs as soon as he saw them. Sa just _happened_ to be nearby to save Ameru's life, and the +Anima just _happened_ to leave after Sa had earned Mina and Ameru's trust. To top it all off Sa had a tear-jerking past that _one of the __**+Anima **_had told Mina and Ameru. That not only proved that one of the +Anima _knew _Sa, but that they were also _friendly _with him.

Indeed, the only thing that was stopping Elerad from personally killing this spy was just how glaringly _obvious_ this was. Elerad really couldn't see Unibas attempting it. He was better than this. If he had wanted to hide a spy all Unibas had to do was make it look like the spy had just entered the village on their own, not give them such a flashy introduction. Besides, while Elerad really didn't believe it, this really _could_ be coincidence. There was no hard evidence that he was a spy, only some glaringly obvious hints.

Besides, Mina was hiding something herself. She had willingly explained that she had tried to kill one of the +Anima, and that was bugging Elerad. She hesitated when she was _ordered _to kill one, and she could easily just have let these ones walk past without making her presence known to them. Elerad had even _asked _her why she had chosen to kill them, and all she had done was glance at Ameru before mumbling that it was just because they were a +Anima. Elerad knew better than to believe it. Mina's thoughts were deeper than that.

She had even claimed that the +Anima had just disappeared without saying anything, again while glancing at Ameru. Even Ameru was noticing Mina's apparent fixation on him, and he had kept on casually asking her what was wrong. Something strange was going on, and Elerad had no clue what it was.

In fact, Elerad had actually been forced to tell Ameru to leave the room just so Mina could focus on explaining the event to Elerad. The problem was that, with Ameru out of the room, Mina seemed to be lying more confidently. That brought up the idea that she had been worried Ameru was going to tell the truth, which was possible. 'Sa' also clearly noticed something was off about the answer. While Elerad had been informed already that Sa was blind, Sa kept turning his head towards Mina whenever she made a bald-faced lie.

_It's an unconscious act done by people that can see to turn their head in the direction of what gets their attention. Since Sa's supposedly blind, there's little point to him doing such a thing. Sa's probably faking being blind and can't stop himself from doing that unconscious act. Of course, he may have been blinded recently. That would explain why the act is still there even though it serves him little purpose. Since it has no negative effects, actually, he could have been blinded at a young age and simply retained that habit. I suppose it's no proof to his credibility one way or the other._

Eventually Elerad sighed and decided to leave the mystery of 'Sa' for later. The more pressing matter was that Mina was still lying, and it was affecting Elerad's knowledge of the situation. It looked like Elerad would have to be a bit more forward to get his answer. "Mina, I find it hard to believe that you would try to kill a +Anima just because they were a +Anima. There _had _to be something more to it."

He almost rolled his eyes when Mina denied it. She wasn't even looking Elerad in the eye anymore. Sa turned his head to look at Mina, obviously as confused as Elerad was. And as odd as it was, that actually gave Sa a bit more credibility. According to Mina Sa hadn't entered the clearing until _after_ that had happened. But if it was set up then he would probably have been nearby and waiting for a signal. That meant he would probably know whatever Mina was hiding, and as such wouldn't be confused.

Elerad almost grinned when Mina asked how Nidec was doing, clearly trying to change the subject. He instead cringed as he heard a door in the hallway behind him open. Nidec must have heard that. It wasn't long before Nidec ran into view. If Elerad had to make a psychiatric evaluation, Nidec was recovering rather nicely, with no trace of psychological trauma. In fact the only thing different about her now was that she only had one arm.

_Granted, a bit of lasting psychological trauma might have been __**good **__for her._

Elerad chuckled inwardly as he waved the thought away. Nidec greeted Mina rather cheerily, which didn't surprise Elerad. Nidec was actually a nice person so long as someone didn't talk about Ameru.

Of course, that brought Elerad's mind to Ameru. Elerad had seen how Ameru had kept looking at the bandage on the side of Mina's face with clear frustration. He obviously believed that he had failed to keep her from getting hurt and it had Ameru _extremely _stressed out.

But it had been the look Ameru had given Elerad when told to enter the other room for a little bit that really had Elerad worried. It was the same look of desperation that Sidas had given Elerad. For just a moment, Elerad had seen Sidas where Ameru had stood. He was running out of time. It wouldn't take much more pain to push Ameru over the edge. If he came out and Nidec saw him . . .

"Hmm? Who are you?"

Elerad focused to find Nidec had just noticed Sa. While she gave him a polite introduction, Elerad cringed when Sa made a _big _mistake. He extended his _right _hand, clearly to shake hands with Nidec. Of course, Nidec had no right arm to return the shake. But Sa couldn't see that.

Elerad saw the pain and rage appear in Nidec's eyes, but to his surprise Nidec simply stated through clenched teeth that she'd prefer to shake with her left hand. While clearly surprised and confused at the comment Sa obligingly switched hands, and to Elerad's relief Nidec actually calmed down. But after they shook their hands Elerad heard a sound that made his heart stop. A doorknob was turning.

_Ameru's coming out._

Not _now! _Elerad cringed when he heard the door leading to the room Ameru was in begin to creak open. _Not while Nidec was out here!_ Not while Ameru was so stressed! But it was too late to do anything. Elerad could only mutter a silent prayer as the entire room went silent. Poor Ameru walked into sight, freezing in place when he saw Nidec.

Elerad turned to face Nidec, racking his brain to find a way to stop her from shouting at Ameru. But she was already talking to Sa. "That kid's Ameru. He's a self-centered, perverted asshole. Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away."

"_Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away."_

_I gnashed my teeth as I glared at the boy. He had a smug little smirk on his face as he returned to speaking with the other children. These __**assholes!**__ Well, whatever. "Come on Sidas, we'll just . . ."_

_As I was speaking to him I turned to face him, and I was alarmed when I saw the look on his face. All of the pain and sadness was gone. There was only a vicious glare aimed at the boy that had made the comment. I had never seen such a dangerous look on Sidas' face before. "S-Sidas?"_

_He didn't say anything to me. He just turned around and walked away. Once he was a good distance away I saw him look back towards the group of children. His gaze was focused on the child that had made the insult, and that gaze was filled with so much hatred that I was amazed the boy didn't actually drop dead right there._

Elerad pushed the memory out of his mind. He had to focus! Elerad looked at Ameru, and he paled as he saw the look in his eyes. It was too late. The look he was giving Nidec was the _exact _same look Sidas had given the boy that had made the insult. Mina obviously saw it too, and Elerad broke out into a cold sweat when Mina spoke up. "A-Ameru?"

He didn't respond. Ameru instead began walking towards the door leading out of the building. Elerad told Ameru to stay, but to his shock and alarm Ameru completely ignored him. When Ameru reached the door he put a hand on the doorknob and looked back at Nidec, giving such a fierce glare that it was a wonder that Nidec didn't catch fire.

There was no mistaking it. Ameru had finally snapped, and there wasn't anything Elerad could do to stop him. No, he had to stop thinking like that. If Ameru had snapped then he'd be going after Nidec. Elerad could have Nidec guarded secretly, and if Ameru made a move . . . well, they'd have no choice but to have him killed. Elerad couldn't risk another Sidas terrorizing the -

Elerad, and everyone else for that matter, jumped when they heard a loud _smack_ come from where Nidec was. When Elerad turned to look at the source he couldn't believe what he found. Nidec was on the ground and looking at Sa in very clear shock. There was the red imprint of a hand on her right cheek.

Sa looked angry. No, Elerad guessed it wasn't really anger. Sa had a look of disgust on his face as he lightly shook his right hand, obviously to shake off the pain. Elerad couldn't believe it. Did Sa just _backhand _Nidec?

Sa then casually flipped Nidec off with his right hand while walking in Ameru's direction. When Elerad looked back at Ameru, he was startled to see that Ameru hadn't moved at all. He still had one hand on the doorknob, but he was actually paying attention. It kind of looked like Ameru couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. He didn't move at all as Sa closed the distance. Sa himself had a brilliant smile on his face as he held out his left hand for Ameru to shake.

For a few seconds Ameru just stared at Sa's hand, but he eventually snapped out of it and - to Elerad's surprise - returned the smile to Sa. Ameru then raised his own left hand, and gently grasped Sa's hand.

Elerad couldn't believe it. He could only gawk stupidly as Ameru finally shook Sa's hand. And as Elerad watched, Ameru _thanked_ Sa. In reply Sa pulled a surprised Ameru closer and put his right hand on Ameru's left shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before letting go of Ameru's hand. Elerad had never seen Ameru smile like he was now. There wasn't a trace of the terrible rage he had felt before.

Eventually it occurred to Elerad that Nidec was glaring fiercely at Ameru and Sa, and he cringed when she snapped at both of them before storming off, calling Ameru some pretty vulgar things. But to Elerad's surprise Ameru actually _ignored _it. Elerad couldn't believe it. Ameru was actually brushing off the insults, even though he was the kind of person that always took an insult to heart.

Elerad frowned as he looked at Sa. He was now certain something was off about Sa. He was a complete stranger to Ameru, yet he actually went that far when Nidec insulted Ameru? Why would he do that? It couldn't have been caused by a grudge against Nidec. Sa was friendly towards Nidec until she made that comment. Could Sa know Ameru? No, that can't be right either. There were very few people that could tolerate Ameru's presence, which of course was why he was in his current position.

Was Sa picked on as a young child? If that was correct he may have responded so violently because Nidec reminded him of his own painful past. Following that, he might know better than anyone else here what Ameru's going through. Would that be why he intervened, and was now offering to be Ameru's friend?

This was so bizarre. Elerad frowned as he went into thought. This couldn't be coincidence that Sa happened to appear right when he was needed. Someone must have sent him in this direction, but whom? Unibas? No, that couldn't be right. Unibas would have killed Ameru if he had the chance. But any plan by the +Anima side went through him before being made official. He would have turned down the idea.

But if it wasn't someone from the +Anima then it would have to be someone outside the city that knew what was going on inside. There were only two people that had managed to escape from the city so far.

Was it Zacyr? No, that was laughable. He didn't even know who Ameru was. The thought of Zacyr again got Elerad's blood to boil, but he forced himself to focus again on the question of who sent Sa.

The only other person to escape from Wralb was Qeneu. Was it her? That was certainly possible, but Elerad sure hadn't expected it. The facts did support the idea. Qeneu had seen Ameru and she had shown pity towards him. _She _had been the one that had told Elerad how Ameru reminded her of Sidas. And what was more, Qeneu was the one that had managed to stop Sidas' killing spree. Had she sent Sa here in order to help Elerad out?

No matter who sent Sa here though, they obviously had honest intentions. Soon Elerad made the decision to have Sa join Ameru in the job of defending Mina. That solved two problems. First and most obvious was that it would keep Sa next to Ameru. Considering the obvious friendship that was formed between them, that would help keep Ameru stable. Secondly, well . . . if Sa _was_ a spy then he wouldn't be able to get any important information by guarding Mina in the wilderness.

But before he'd tell them of his decision, Elerad had a more pressing matter that he wanted to figure out. He still wanted to know the truth of what happened during Mina's last hunting expedition, and it looked like he'd have to be firm with Mina to get that information. Let's see . . . should he try a bluff? No, no. It was too risky. So how could he get that information? Perhaps he should just be blunt with her.

"Mina, do you remember what we were talking about before Nidec showed up?"

Mina instantly blushed and refused to meet Elerad's eyes. He couldn't figure it out. What had happened that made her not want to talk about it? "Mina, from what you've said it sounds like you just randomly attacked a +Anima just because they were a +Anima. While I might believe that if a few other hunters said that, you aren't that type of person. _Why _did you attack the +Anima?"

He was surprised when it actually worked. Mina gulped before hurriedly mumbling that she didn't know why, which an exasperated Elerad was willing to settle with for now. However, Ameru abruptly flinched before speaking up, and Mina cringed the instant Ameru started talking. "Wait, but didn't you say that they had murdered your brother?"

Elerad flinched as Mina looked away, refusing to meet any of their eyes. Ameru must have realized after he said it that Mina was trying to hide it, as he hurriedly apologized to her. But Elerad was more focused on his thoughts.

So it was for revenge, huh? Elerad guessed that made more sense. He hadn't expected Mina to still be infuriated about that event, but it was still believable. And to his surprise Mina finally relented and told him what _really _happened.

He was surprised to learn that, unlike Mina had made it sound initially, there was only _one _+Anima that had known who Sa was.

What was more that +Anima was a new arrival as well, and had explained Sa's past only after Mina had attempted to kill the +Anima that had killed her brother right in front of their father. That actually gave Sa a lot more credibility. The +Anima must have wanted to convince Mina to stop trying to avenge her brother when they had told her about Sa's past.

Once Mina was done speaking, Elerad became aware of the fact that Ameru had a broken weapon. _Again_. For crying out loud, how hard _was _it to just keep a spear in one piece for more than five seconds!? "Alright, go to the blacksmith and get a new spear. Once he's got his weapon Mina, you should go back to hunting."

Mina and Ameru immediately nodded, and Ameru opened the door out. Sa on the other hand merely cocked his head as both Ameru and Mina went through the door. Oh! Had Elerad forgotten to tell them his decision? "Sa, I've decided that you will be a second guard for Mina. In other words, go with them."

The three kids flinched, but eventually Sa made to follow Ameru and Mina. Elerad couldn't help the chuckle he gave when Sa managed to walk directly into the wall to the immediate right of the doorway. In reply Sa faced him, his eyebrows bent in what Elerad guessed was an attempt at a murderous glare before successfully walking through the doorway. Well, _someone _was touchy.

* * *

><p>I had the absolute WORST time trying to get a good ending for this chapter. In all honesty, that's really what held this chapter back for almost a month. Work might have had something to do with it too, though . . .<p>

If you noticed, I mentioned a character Qeneu. For those of you wondering how the hell you say that, just say it as 'Eneu'. The Q is silent.

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:+Anima*(Gender)*~Deceased~*<br>*_if applicable_

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father: Moose (Male)<p>

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<p> 


	75. Where The Wild Things Are

Hi everyone! I haven't posted anything on this story for so long . . . let's see if I can fix that.

Before I go too far, I feel it is my duty to explain my absence. Well, my job is insane. I work random hours, and can be working on any day of the week at any time. I can't schedule much of anything around this damn schedule of mine, and I personally don't like the work itself much. I can practically hear everyone say 'SO GET A NEW JOB' - in fact, that's what everyone in my family is telling me almost every single day.

Of course, it's not like it was easy to find this job in the first place. And now I have to look for a job WHILE working this job. And on top of that, I feel guilty that I haven't been able to update for so long - especially on my favorite story. Unfortunately, my life comes before my writing.

Sigh.

ANYWAYS, I'm on a sort of vacation from my job until somewhere around Thanksgiving. With a little luck I should be able to use this time to go job hunting, AND I can use the time that I'm not job hunting to get back to writing! YAY!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Let's Recap:<em>**

**_Chapter 72_**: Oroco and Krej learn that their 'punishment' is actually a promotion thanks to their ability to slip past Lexa. Lexa leaves them with the revelation that 'the cycle is almost ready to move to the next stage'. Afterwards Ryca, Lexa, and Unibas speak to each other. The conversation starts with Zacyr, where both Lexa and Unibas are relieved that he doesn't remember what happened. The conversation then turns to Ameru, and it's revealed that he has the potential to become the next Sidas.

**_Chapter_** _**73**_: Mina and Ameru are walking around the forest when Mina spots Sarysi and Edreg, and she remembers how Edreg murdered her brother Cory. This results in a completely enraged Mina attempting to kill Edreg, which fails and backfires when another +Anima - Ereth - comes to help Edreg, and beats up Ameru in a fight after injuring Mina. Ameru is saved by the timely arrival of a blind, mute boy with an attitude problem, who quickly takes Ameru's place as a punching bag. Before the fight escalates any more, a moose +Anima pretending to be a chicken enters the fray and calms down both sides. After giving a brief speech on how revenge is an endless cycle the +Anima leave, and Mina decides to bring Sa to the human side of Wralb.

**_Chapter 74_**: Elerad is being briefed by a conflicted Mina on what happened. Due to poor communication on Mina's end, Elerad strongly suspects Sa of being a +Anima spy. But when Ameru nearly snaps thanks to a comment made by Nidec, Sa surprises everyone by slapping Nidec and obviously offering his hand in friendship to Ameru, which makes Ameru turn back to his normal self. With a little unintentional help from Ameru, Elerad finally learns the truth of what happened during Mina and Ameru's encounter with the +Anima, and he ultimately notes to himself that even if Sa was sent to the city intentionally, the person who did so likely has honest intentions. Because of his new friendship with Ameru, Elerad has Sa join Mina's hunting group as a second guard, and Elerad soon tells the group to continue hunting once Ameru has a new spear.

* * *

><p>"And that's how Tulig and I got into the city."<p>

Edreg could only look at Ereth in complete shock. The sloth +Anima simply gave him a tired smile before lazily asking what Edreg was so startled about. But even though Edreg opened his mouth to speak, Sarysi beat him to it. "What do you _think _we're so startled about!? You told me that Tulig was a mute, gentle girl that was more timid than _Kesi! _You never mentioned _anything _about her being capable of such . . . such _brutality!_"

Ereth simply chuckled before she shook her head. This time it was Edreg's father that spoke up, sounding rather amused. "I know a lot of people like that. You should always watch your step around timid people. It's hard to piss them off, so people don't tend to expect that they can indeed become violent."

Edreg guessed he could understand that. After all . . . he could remember how terrified Mina had looked when he had first seen her. Perhaps Mina hadn't been that timid, but he never would have expected her to try and kill Edreg like that.

He stopped paying attention to the conversation that Ereth, Sarysi, and Edreg's father were having. Instead, his attention was being held by the scene playing out in his head. Edreg would never have guessed that the archer - and her defender - had been brother and sister. He had been so angry at how Mina had attempted to kill Kesi, and just wanted to keep them from being able to harm Kesi.

Now Mina wanted Edreg dead, and as much as Edreg wished otherwise Mina had a perfectly acceptable reason why. Edreg had no desire to kill another person, not after what he had gone through after killing Mina's brother. Edreg hadn't thought it would be so hard to forgive his self for killing someone. And as he pondered how to get out of his situation, a thought occurred that made Edreg halt in his tracks. The thought was so unexpected, so horrifying, that he couldn't help the look of shock that erupted on his face.

_Isn't this the same situation I put Zacyr in?_

Yes, he had no doubt that was correct. He had hunted Zacyr with a single-minded determination, having been so furious at losing his life due to his little scam backfiring on him like it did. The only difference with his current situation was that Mina had a much more justified reason for hunting down Edreg. After all, Edreg had killed Mina's brother right in front of her. Was this Edreg's reward for his arrogance?

Minutes passed, and Edreg just tuned out what his father, Ereth, and Sarysi were doing as he thought about his situation. In fact, it took a strange sound coming from the city to regain his attention. The sound was . . . well, bizarre. It was a weird, loud growling noise, and it seemed to be headed in their direction. Edreg and everyone else got into defensive stances, all except for Ereth. Ereth seemed rather surprised, but soon told everyone else to relax. "Baliwe has just gone into his Anima form again."

Edreg frowned in confusion, as did his father and Sarysi. But before they could ask more a blur shot into the clearing. Whatever the blur was, it screeched to a stop directly in front of Edreg, sending up a cloud of dust that blinded Edreg's remaining eye. As Edreg quickly began rubbing his eye to clear out the dust, he heard Ereth speak up.

"Baliwe, what's wrong?"

"_**Get back! Get away from me!**_"

The voice was bordering hysterics, and was followed by a fierce yowl. That noise stirred Edreg into action, and he quickly banged his claws together. He forced his eye to open, so he could get at least _some _picture of what was creating the yowling noise.

Edreg didn't expect what he found. It was _definitely _a +Anima, probably of some big cat. The boy looked to be twelve or thirteen, and he was only wearing a tattered pair of shorts. On the neck of the boy was a +Anima mark, which - to Edreg's surprise - was blood red. Right now, the boy - obviously Baliwe - had claws protruding from his fingers and toes, and was currently baring sharp teeth towards the group.

What had Edreg confused was that the boy was on all fours, and had his back arched. The boy made a hissing noise as he slowly began backing away from the group, watching all four of them with a wild look in his eyes. All in all, it reminded Edreg of the way a cat might react if it saw a threat. This kid looked like he was completely terrified of them.

"_Baliwe, wait! Where are you!?_"

Edreg looked up as he heard the voice, which was coming from the city area. Baliwe immediately looked over his shoulder, and it struck Edreg that Baliwe was clearly afraid of the speaker. Before long the hyena +Anima - Yena, if Edreg remembered correctly - walked into view, looking rather alarmed as he held up his hands in a clear attempt to he wasn't a threat. "Please Baliwe, j-just calm down. I didn't mean to-"

"_**I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME! Leave me alone! What did I ever do to you!? I-if you get any closer, I-I'll kill you!**_"

Whoa. Edreg could only stare in shock as Yena brought a hand to his face and sighed. "Oroco was right. I shouldn't have played that trick on you. Okay, uh . . . I won't get any closer to you until you let me?"

It wasn't working. Baliwe was backing away from the group _and _Yena now, and it looked like he was going to bolt any second now. Alright, so someone would have to calm the kid down before he completely freaked out. Edreg sighed before he left his +Anima form and slowly began approaching Baliwe, who immediately focused on Edreg instead of Yena.

"I'm sorry if I scared you before. You just caught me by surprise. I thought you were going to attack _us_. My name is Edreg. What's your name?"

To Edreg's surprise, it was actually working. While the boy certainly looked surprised he began cautiously approaching Edreg, clearly watching for Edreg to make any hostile act. Edreg however forced himself to smile as he gently knelt down to eye level with the boy, trying his best to act kind to the boy.

"My name is . . . is Baliwe. I . . ."

The boy suddenly stiffened as his eyes bulged open. While at first Edreg was worried that he had just freaked the boy out again, he was surprised when he realized that the boy's +Anima was receding. As it did so the boy's +Anima mark began changing color, and when it was done a startled Edreg was looking at a perfectly normal +Anima mark. Did that mean all marks turned blood red when someone went in their +Anima mark? No, that couldn't be right. Dancing Shadow's +Anima mark just had a slight change in shape whenever he brought out his Anima, not color. So why . . . no, Edreg had to focus.

He looked back at Baliwe, and was startled to find Baliwe had gotten to his feet. At the moment Baliwe had his face buried in his hands, and Edreg felt awful when he realized Baliwe was crying. Had he upset him somehow?

"God damn it . . . Why do you always _do _that to me!?"

Edreg flinched as Baliwe turned to face Yena, now looking very frustrated. Yena was now blushing as he looked to the side, refusing to meet Baliwe's eyes. "I-I thought it was f-uh, I mean -"

"-'funny', huh."

Edreg, Sarysi, and Edreg's father could only watch in surprise as Baliwe glared at Yena. Yena was clearly trying to take back what he had mistakenly said, but it was obvious that he had already struck a nerve with Baliwe. But . . . what had happened to that terrified child that Edreg had just been trying to calm down? It was like Baliwe had a completely different personality. As Edreg tried to figure it out he heard Ereth give a 'tsk, tsk' before she addressed Yena.

"Yena, I thought Unibas told you not to bug Baliwe. You know you always set him off. Where's Ryca? Isn't he supposed to respond whenever Baliwe brings out his Feral?"

'Feral'? Wait, wasn't it called 'Anima'? Edreg could only cock his head in confusion as Yena blushed, although he was caught off guard when Baliwe spoke again, sounding rather frustrated. "You think it's funny, huh?"

"Baliwe, I meant -"

"Oh, I know what you meant. It's the same thing you do every time. 'Let's see how quickly I can make him freak out.' Then after someone manages to calm me down, it's always 'I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it.' Do you have the _slightest _idea what it's like to be a +Feral? I don't need you reminding me what happens when I freak out!"

_Something's happening._

Edreg could only watch in shock as Baliwe's +Anima mark abruptly began to glow red. Baliwe didn't even seem to notice as his fingers began to lengthen into claws again. He simply continued to speak to Yena. "Why won't you just _leave me alone!? Do you __**want **__me to kill someone!? Do you want me to kill someone so you can kill me and claim it was self defense!? That's it! You want to __**kill **__me so I can't kill anyone else!_"

Baliwe's +Anima mark now stopped glowing, and to Edreg's surprise he found that Baliwe's mark was now blood red again. Baliwe was back on all fours now as his voice quickly rose back to hysterics, and he suddenly turned and looked at Edreg's group with an untamed fear in his eyes. "_And that means this was all a ruse! ALL of you want to kill me! Why can't you just leave me alone!? __**Don't get ANY closer to me! Don't-**_"

"Baliwe!"

Everyone immediately turned towards the voice to find Ryca - that weird kid that had the exact same build and face as Zacyr - was entering the clearing. Baliwe reacted immediately by breaking out into a four-legged sprint towards Ryca, closing the distance faster than Edreg could even blink. Edreg could only stare in complete confusion as Baliwe wrapped Ryca in a hug, almost knocking Ryca over from his momentum alone. "_Ryca, HELP! They want to kill me! I don't want to die, I don't want to-_"

"Shh, it's okay Baliwe. I won't let them hurt you. I'm your friend, okay?"

As Ryca spoke he returned the hug that Baliwe was giving him and began rocking back and forth. Once he was done speaking Ryca began gently humming an old lullaby that Edreg hadn't heard in years. After about ten seconds the wild look in Baliwe's eyes suddenly vanished, and Edreg immediately noticed that Baliwe was leaving his Anima form again.

Almost the instant Baliwe had left his +Anima form Ryca gently patted him on the back. To Edreg's shock Baliwe's eyes immediately filled with tears, and Ryca held Baliwe as Baliwe silently cried. Eventually though Ryca spoke up. "Come on Baliwe, let's go home. I'll play that card game you love to play so much. Maybe this time I'll even beat you at it."

". . . I'd like that, though I don't think you can beat me. Maybe Doctor Roo and Joey could play it with us?"

Ryca had a very gentle smile on his face as he rubbed Baliwe's shoulder. "I can see if she has time to play. By the way, Joey just started walking yesterday. I've been meaning to tell you that."

"Wow, really? He's growing up a lot faster than I thought a child could."

With that Ryca and Baliwe left the clearing, leaving Edreg's group and Yena behind them. Edreg was very confused at what had just happened. Did Baliwe have a . . . mental problem like Ryca did? One moment he was very frustrated, and in the next he had been completely terrified of them.

"God _**DAMN IT!**_"

Edreg yelped when Yena kicked the tree next to him, a very flustered look on Yena's face. It was very weird to see Yena look flustered. It was like seeing Zacyr freak out, or like seeing Lexa giving a kid a lollipop. "I'm such a fucking _moron! _Of _course _he's going to freak out if I sneak up on him, why did I . . ."

Uh . . . okay? Edreg looked at his father and Sarysi to find they were clearly just as baffled as Edreg was. But while Edreg wanted to ask Yena about Baliwe, it didn't exactly seem like it was a good time to do so. To Edreg's surprise Ereth suddenly spoke to Yena, noting that Yena had never been that good at reading Baliwe. "It's an honest mistake. After all, you were just trying to cheer him up. The problem is that your way of doing so involves pranking him, which he just can't handle. Anyways, you should see if Unibas has any work for you. Take the straightforward route back to the city. We both know how Ryca always takes Baliwe on the scenic route."

Yena eventually gave a 'yeah' before walking out of the clearing. Once he was out of sight Ereth gave a sigh before shaking her head. "Don't worry. Yena will be back to his cheerful self by tomorrow. He always gets like this whenever he encounters Baliwe. Anyways"

Edreg flinched when Ereth kissed him on the cheek. Sarysi and Edreg's father both shared a chuckle as Ereth beamed at Edreg. "That was amazing. I haven't seen a complete stranger to Baliwe calm him down since Baliwe first entered the city, which was about . . . three months ago."

Edreg lamely stated that it was no big deal, which he knew very well wasn't true. While Ereth gave a very cute giggle, Sarysi suddenly spoke up. "Is Baliwe like Ryca? I mean . . . what's the word I'm looking for . . ."

"Special?"

"Yeah, that's the word."

To Edreg's surprise Ereth gave a sigh before giving a sad smile. "I guess that's technically true. He's rather unstable, but that's a very common reaction to a person becoming a +Feral."

"You mean +Anima? I've never heard of it called +Feral."

Ereth suddenly gave an 'ah' before she focused on Edreg. "I guess the correct term would be +Anima, but he's a special type of +Anima. See . . . well, I guess I should give a short explanation as to what it means to be a +Anima. When a person becomes a +Anima, they gain the ability to use the traits of an animal. It can be as small as gaining a single clawed arm, it may be as much as a complete transformation into the creature, or it can be anywhere in between. However"

At this Ereth looked Edreg straight in the eye. "It's not uncommon for some +Anima to become slightly more 'simple' when they enter their +Anima form. This is because they have gained a few instincts from their animal friend. Most of the time these instincts are very weak, and they have little effect on the +Anima. Among those +Anima though, some of them have very powerful instincts. Those ones become little more than animals when they transform."

Ah, so that was why Baliwe practically had two separate personalities. "So a +Feral is a +Anima that loses control whenever they transform."

"Not quite."

Edreg again flinched before looking at Ereth. Ereth gave a loud yawn before she continued her explanation. "When an animal is in a life or death situation, a certain instinct triggers. This is the 'fight or flight' response, and it determines whether the animal will try to stand its ground or flee for its life. This instinct - if obtained - is particularly powerful. Because it's a very important instinct, it overrides most other instincts. However, most animals don't have emotions. Because that response isn't made to work with emotions, the fight or flight response can also be triggered by intense fear or intense anger. A +Feral has such a strong fight or flight instinct that it can be triggered even when they are in human form. If that happens"

At this Ereth looked Edreg straight in the eye. "The +Feral shall transform _involuntarily._ To put it in more basic terms, a +Feral is a +Anima that not only becomes controlled by instinct when they change, but they can be made to change involuntarily. Take Baliwe for example. If he gets terrified or extremely frustrated, he will transform and be influenced by a desire to flee from everyone near him. This actually caused the death of a young girl that got too close to him when he was in his +Anima form. Baliwe has never forgiven himself for that event, and doesn't trust himself around other people anymore. He usually just stays at the building he lives in, locking himself in his room. He's very mentally unstable because he's constantly worried about the possibility that he will take another life."

Edreg gulped. He couldn't believe what Ereth was saying. He had no idea that a +Anima could have a _reason _that they would never want to use their +Anima form, and the concept of a +Anima being forced to transform by instinct frightened him. Granted, even that terrifying thought was nothing compared to the terror that Edreg felt when he heard a calm, determined female voice come from his right.

"Did I hear Baliwe a little bit ago?"

Edreg immediately looked in the direction the voice came from, and his worst fear was confirmed when he saw a tall figure hidden beneath a black cowl walk into view. He looked at Ereth, who - for the first time since Edreg had met her - had her eyes wide open in shock and alarm. Ereth looked completely awake as she quickly got in front of Edreg and got into a fighting stance, though from how she was shaking Ereth clearly knew that she wouldn't be much of a match for Lexa.

Sarysi didn't seem worried at all, and Edreg was surprised when Sarysi calmly noted that Ryca was taking Baliwe back home. While Lexa's face was hidden by her cowl, Edreg got the impression that Lexa was relieved from the sound of her voice when she next spoke. "Ryca must have disobeyed his orders when he heard Baliwe had become feral again. But why are you here, Ereth? You're the guard for the fishers, right?"

Ereth immediately began shaking quite a bit more violently as she slowly backed away from Lexa. When she spoke, Edreg could easily hear the fear in Ereth's voice. She sounded just as scared of Lexa as Edreg was. "I heard Sarysi and Edreg nearby, and from their conversation I figured that they were lost. Since I know the forest like the back of my hand, I wanted to lead them farther into the +Anima side."

Lexa for the most part didn't react, or at least Edreg couldn't see much of a reaction. Granted, all he could see was Lexa's eyes stop focusing on Ereth, now focusing to something behind Edreg. "You're a new face."

Edreg flinched, at first thinking that Lexa was talking to him. That was very true, as Edreg had done his best so far to avoid talking to what he had been warned was a sadistic cannibal. But as Edreg's father casually walked past Edreg, Edreg had the disturbing realization that Lexa was talking to Edreg's goofy father. Of course, Edreg's father had no idea how much trouble he was in. If he tried one of his crappy jokes -

"My name's Adran. Let me guess, are you Lexa the Beautiful?"

Edreg's face turned scarlet at his father's comment to Lexa, but he immediately sprinted over to his father and covered his father's mouth to stop him from saying anything more. He quickly began hissing in his startled father's ear, trying to be quiet enough so Lexa couldn't hear him. "_Shut UP dad! This is NOT someone you want to flirt with!_"

Edreg glanced at Lexa to see how bad the situation was, and was caught off-guard to find that Lexa was clearly amused. "Well, I must admit that's not a name most people know me by. Most people just scream when they see me."

Edreg flinched when his father brought back one of his elbows and struck Edreg in the side. When Edreg began rubbing his side with one of his hands his father immediately grabbed Edreg's other hand and threw Edreg off of him before grinning at Lexa. "Ah, a bad girl huh? I like it rough, so that's not a problem for me."

_Shit, shit, __**shit!**_ Edreg had to stop his father before his father got himself killed! With that in mind Edreg attempted to cover his father's mouth again, but this time his father was prepared, and easily knocked Edreg back to the ground. "Hey, knock it off Edreg! I know what I'm doing."

_No he __**didn't**__!_ Edreg gulped as he tried to think of a way to get his father to stop. He didn't want to just say out loud that Lexa was a cannibal, since Lexa would probably find it offensive. But Edreg knew his father well enough to safely say that his father wouldn't stop unless he knew exactly what he was talking to.

When Edreg looked at Lexa, trying to figure out a way to get his father to stop attempting to flirt with her, he was startled to see that she looked kind of amused. But after a few seconds her expression changed, and her eyes squinted. She only did so for a few seconds, but afterwards she gave a determined look as she began to approach Edreg's father.

When Lexa was about five feet away Edreg and Ereth meekly backed away, both of them being afraid to potentially tick Lexa off. Edreg's father however surprised Edreg by walking towards Lexa as well. Before long Lexa and Edreg's father were face to face with each other, and as they stared each other down Edreg was sure his father had just gotten himself killed.

He flinched when Lexa suddenly spoke, sounding genuinely curious. "How did you get that scar?"

"Let's just say that my wife and I had a disagreement."

"It's a good look for you."

What.

Edreg could only stare in complete shock as Lexa stepped back a few paces, smirking as she looked Edreg's father over. After a little bit of time Edreg saw Lexa shrug. "You are kind of cute, I guess."

This couldn't be happening. Edreg refused to believe his eyes. This . . . he had never expected Lexa to respond to his father's flirting like _this. _And yet as Edreg felt the awful reality of the situation hit him, his father boldly walked up to Lexa and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm new to the area, and while my son and his friends have tried to explain the situation to me I'm still a bit clueless. Perhaps we could take a walk, and during that time you could explain it a little better?"

"Yes, you don't strike me as the type of person it would be easy to explain complex situations to. Alright, I'll take a little walk with you."

Edreg could only watch in shock and horror as his father and Lexa walked away from the group. Now it was just him, Sarysi, and Ereth in the clearing. What happened next was perhaps the longest silence that Edreg had ever known, as he tried to comprehend what his father had just gotten himself into. Edreg's father had just _flirted _with Lexa, and Edreg was sure that Lexa was merely playing along with his father, waiting for the moment to attack his father unawares.

"Well, I hate to say this Edreg, but I really should get back to guarding the fishing group."

Edreg could only nod dumbly at Ereth's comment, and after he did so Ereth walked away. Edreg soon gulped before he walked towards the spot where his father and Lexa had disappeared. To his surprise he suddenly found a gigantic scorpion claw grabbing his arm, and he turned to find Sarysi giving him an amused look. "And just where are _you _going?"

Edreg blushed, but he was startled when Sarysi grinned and stated that she'd meet him in the city when he was done. With that Sarysi released Edreg's arm from her grip and walked away as well, leaving Edreg all by himself. Once he was sure he was alone, Edreg set off into the forest at a brisk pace.

_Don't let it be too late, there has to be a way to get dad away from her!_

To Edreg's surprise he caught up to them in less than a minute. Lexa and Edreg's father were standing in a clearing, and seemed to be talking to each other. Edreg found a good hiding place - behind an abnormally large bush - and strained to listen to the two of them. Almost the instant he began listening, he was startled as he realized they were talking about the last thing Edreg expected them to be talking about.

". . . and that is what Zacyr wanted me to say."

". . . I didn't think he'd do something so bold. I'll need to speak to Unibas about this right away."

"Unibas?"

"Our leader. Is that all you had to say?"

"Well, there is one thing I wanted to say. When I called you beautiful before, I wasn't lying."

"In that case, I have two things you should be aware of. I'm happily married, and I have a son that's the same age as Zacyr."

What? Edreg immediately began cleaning out his left ear. He must have heard that wrong. Lexa was . . . she was _married_, _and _she had a son!? It took his father the longest time to respond, and to Edreg's partial delight his father almost sounded depressed. ". . . oh. Well, that doesn't change the fact that I wasn't lying."

"Don't get me wrong. You are cute, but I'm not about to cheat on my husband. Anyways, I'm going to have to cut this short. Come on, I'll lead you and your eavesdropping son to the city."

Edreg felt like a bolt of lightning had gone through him, but when his father told Edreg to stop hiding Edreg meekly complied. Neither his father nor Lexa showed surprise or anger at Edreg's presence. As Lexa walked past Edreg she casually noted that if Edreg made any more noise when he had attempted to sneak behind the bush then Lexa would have mistaken him for a bear. Edreg's father chuckled as Edreg blushed, but before long both father and son were following Lexa to the city.

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><p>The concept of +Ferals is something I've wanted to include in the story for a while. It only makes sense to me that some +Anima would end up with the short end of the stick, and find their Anima is too much for them to contain. And yes: I consider Senri a +Feral, although he's usually able to control it (which is obviously different from Baliwe, who has little to no control over his Feral). But at the same time, my idea of +Ferals was made with no knowledge of Senri's +Anima.<p>

By the way, you have absolutely no idea how long I've wanted to have Adran flirt with Lexa. I feel SO much better now that I've finally managed to include that in the story :)

I will not promise that the next chapter will take less time to finish, but I will note that I have an idea for how to make it play out that I really like.

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><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable.  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)<br>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<p> 


	76. She Returns

Hello, my faithful readers! (Considering this is chapter 76, I think it's safe to assume anyone reading this far is a 'faithful reader') I told you I'd get this chapter done quicker than I got the last one done :)

I'll admit that I didn't give this chapter the stern look-over I usually give a chapter, so don't be afraid to point out any errors I missed in my quick look-over.

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><p><strong><em>Chapter<em>** _**73**_: Mina and Ameru are walking around the forest when Mina spots Sarysi and Edreg, and she remembers how Edreg murdered her brother Cory. This results in a completely enraged Mina attempting to kill Edreg, which fails and backfires when another +Anima - Ereth - comes to help Edreg, and beats up Ameru in a fight after injuring Mina. Ameru is saved by the timely arrival of a blind, mute boy with an attitude problem, who quickly takes Ameru's place as a punching bag. Before the fight escalates any more, a moose +Anima pretending to be a chicken enters the fray and calms down both sides. After giving a brief speech on how revenge is an endless cycle the +Anima leave, and Mina decides to bring Sa to the human side of Wralb.

**_Chapter 74_**: Elerad is being briefed by a conflicted Mina on what happened. Due to poor communication on Mina's end, Elerad strongly suspects Sa of being a +Anima spy. But when Ameru nearly snaps thanks to a comment made by Nidec, Sa surprises everyone by slapping Nidec and obviously offering his hand in friendship to Ameru, which makes Ameru turn back to his normal self. With a little unintentional help from Ameru, Elerad finally learns the truth of what happened during Mina and Ameru's encounter with the +Anima, and he ultimately notes to himself that even if Sa was sent to the city intentionally, the person who did so likely has honest intentions. Because of his new friendship with Ameru, Elerad has Sa join Mina's hunting group as a second guard, and Elerad soon tells the group to continue hunting once Ameru has a new spear.

**_Chapter_** **_75_**: Edreg, Adran (Edreg's father), Sarysi, and Ereth are walking through the forest when a +Anima named Baliwe approaches them. This +Anima is shown to be rather unstable, and is revealed to be a special type of +Anima called a +Feral. +Ferals are explained to be +Anima that have inherited powerful instincts from their Anima, with one instinct that's strong enough to induce an involuntary transformation. Because of this Baliwe is shown to be very unhinged, terrified of what he may potentially do to others. Lexa soon appears, having heard Baliwe, and Edreg's startled and horrified when his father begins flirting with Lexa. Unlike what Edreg expects, Lexa seems to act positively to the flirting, and agrees to take a walk with Adran. When Edreg follows Lexa and Adran, he finds they are talking about Zacyr, and witnesses Lexa turn down Adran's advances before Lexa reveals she and Adran were quite aware that Edreg was following them. With that Lexa begins to lead father and son back to the city, and the chapter ends.

* * *

><p>Kesi grinned as he yanked his quill out of the water. Just like always, he found that he had perfectly intercepted the fish he had been aiming for. With a slight grunt Kesi tossed the fish over to Ele, who quickly killed the fish via a fatal shock delivered by her finger. She then began to scale the fish while she spoke. "I never thought fishing would go so quickly by just adding two more people. We should let Kshtsi and Tulig know that we only need a few more and we're done for the day. Of course, if <em>someone <em>would help us out instead of sleeping on a tree branch all day then . . . huh?"

As she spoke Ele looked up at a nearby tree, where Ereth had chosen to sleep. However, both Kesi and Ele were startled to find that the branch was decidedly bare. To Kesi's amusement Ele eventually shrugged and noted 'well, that's new.' Kesi dared to tease Ele about it. "What? She doesn't sleep _all _the time."

Ele however seemed kind of annoyed. "I understand that, but she shouldn't be abandoning her post like . . . wait, how do you know she doesn't sleep all the time?"

"She moved into Edreg's room, and Edreg's a friend of mine. He told me that she actually can't sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, and that she told him she's always had this problem. She's also a very light sleeper, so she's really sleep deprived."

"So that's why she's always trying to sleep?"

Kesi smiled while he nodded. Ele actually had a look of sympathy on her face now. The two of them flinched when Ereth's tired voice came from near that tree. Kshtsi's yelp told Kesi that Kshtsi had brought his head above the water, and when Kesi turned to look he smiled at Tulig, who had also poked her head out of the water. Tulig smiled back at him before they all focused on Ereth. Ereth sure sounded like she was exhausted, and like usual she interrupted her comment with a massive yawn. "That would be correct. Speaking of which, I need to tell you something Ele. I absolutely _need _to sleep right now. The four of you will need to look after yourselves while I do."

Kesi flinched, but he didn't push it. He could see it in Ereth's eyes. She absolutely _needed _this. Ele seemed to see it too, although she hurriedly stated that she was worried about it all being on her own shoulders. Ereth however smiled before she noted that Kesi, Tulig, and Kshtsi didn't want to die, so they'd help her if it came to a fight. As she spoke Ereth slouched down next to the tree, although she abruptly froze as her eyes locked on to a place behind Ele.

"What are you three doing here?"

Kesi immediately turned to look at the spot Ereth was staring, and he immediately felt his heart catch in his throat. Looking out from behind a tree were two boys and one girl. One of the boys wore a band of cloth around his head that covered eyes that Kesi guessed weren't able to see, but that wasn't what Kesi was focused on. He was focused on the girl. Kesi could recognize that face anywhere.

Granted, he had only seen that face once before. That was during his first and only time as signaler for Ryca. Kesi still had nightmares about that face. He could remember how Ryca had suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Kesi, and when Kesi had turned around he had been startled to find Ryca holding on to an arrow and sticking his tongue out at a nearby window. Kesi had looked up at the window, to find this very girl - carrying that same bow - looking back at them, with very clear shock on her face.

Kesi couldn't help it. He shuddered in fear as he looked at the girl who had very nearly taken his life. Ele and Kshtsi obviously noticed his reaction since they both asked if he was alright. Kesi didn't know the answer. "Sh-she's the one that almost killed me! I-if Ryca hadn't caught the arrow then it would have gone right through my head!"

He was surprised when both Kshtsi and Ele immediately got between the girl and Kesi, with Ele glaring fiercely at the girl. "So you came back to finish the job, huh?"

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to face the intruding boy that wasn't blind, who had his hands out in front of himself in a stance to show he didn't mean any harm. "Mina, Sa, and I just heard voices and wanted to know who it was! We didn't come here to f-"

Kesi flinched as the water behind him erupted, spraying him, Kshtsi, and Ele all in the back. Kesi looked up, and was caught completely off-guard to find Tulig flying over his head. She was in her +Anima form, and her mouth was wide open as she closed in on - to Kesi's shock - the girl with the bow. The girl only had time to let out a startled scream before Tulig slammed into her, and the girl barely put her bow between her and Tulig's mouth in time to stop Tulig from biting her. Instead Tulig bit down on the bow, leaving Kesi in shock and awe as Tulig soon spat out the now-useless remains of the bow to the side before focusing on the terrified girl.

"Get the hell off of her, you BITCH!"

The two intruding boys sprang into action, with the one that could see looking very enraged as he grabbed his spear off of his back and plunged the tip into Tulig's shoulder. Kesi's blood began to boil as Tulig immediately got off of the archer and left her +Anima form, now clutching at her wounded shoulder. Kesi immediately grabbed his quill staff and charged at the boy. "How _dare _you!?"

While the boy looked surprised, he quickly charged at Kesi and readied his spear. Kesi easily dodged the boy's move, noting in his head that this boy was wasting his time - he clearly had no talent with the spear, and absolutely no experience using it. With a single move Kesi knocked off the pointed stone that made the end of the spear, and with a quick turn Kesi slammed end of his quill-staff against the boy's head.

Kshtsi suddenly told Kesi to look to his left, and when Kesi did he was startled to find the blind boy was entering the fight. Kesi barely was able to lean back in time to avoid a mace slamming into the side of his face, although the boy immediately backed away when Kesi attempted to hit him with the quill. For someone that was supposedly blind, Kesi thought that the boy sure timed his dodge well.

Kesi dueled with the mace-wielding boy for a few seconds, noticing that while the boy had talent with the maces, he clearly wasn't used to using them. He was too slow to hit Kesi, but thanks to the boy's danger sense he was able to avoid Kesi's quill-staff as well. Then - to Kesi's surprise - Tulig sprinted into view, and she simply punched the boy with her uninjured arm before going into her +Anima form and - to Kesi's surprise - chomping down on the wooden part of the mace in the boy's right hand. When she moved back, she spat out half of the mace before sticking her tongue out at the boy.

Kesi meanwhile was busy with the other boy. The other boy was now using his spear as a staff, and Kesi was surprised at how much of a difference that made with the boy's style. Kesi had to admit that this person had a lot of talent with a staff. But just like the blind boy, this one had no experience in using a staff. Kesi meanwhile wasn't too talented with his quills, but he had a _lot _of experience with using them. He and Rudeg used to duel all the time, and Kesi easily held his own against the boy.

"STOP FIGHTING!"

The words were screamed by not only Ele and Kshtsi, but even by the intruding girl. In response both Tulig and the blind boy she was fighting stopped, but Kesi and the other boy didn't pay it any heed. This boy had hurt Tulig, and Kesi wasn't going to let him walk away unscathed!

But at the same time, Kesi found that this boy was clearly giving it his all as well. It took almost a minute of the two of them being at a standoff before the boy made a mistake, and Kesi gave him a sharp strike to the head to disorient him. Kesi then went to strike the boy on the forehead to knock him out, but to his surprise the blind boy sprinted in between Kesi and the other boy, and allowed his shoulder to take the brunt of Kesi's strike.

The blind boy's band must have fallen off during his fight with Tulig. Kesi found himself looking at eyes that had completely clouded over. The blind boy - Sa as the girl was calling him - now cringed as he began rubbing the shoulder Kesi had struck, and Kesi backed away now that he had beaten his opponent. Kesi then focused his attention on the human girl that had almost killed him two days ago. While he didn't try to attack her or anything, he still kept his staff at the ready, just in case.

The girl had a blush on her face as she opened her mouth to speak. Unfortunately for her she didn't get the chance, as the boy Kesi had just beat gave a heavy sigh. "Why do I keep trying to be a guard?"

Kesi - and everyone else in the clearing for that matter - turned to face the person Kesi had just beaten. Kesi could only stare in surprise as the boy casually tossed his broken spear aside. The anger in the boy's eyes had disappeared, and all that was left was a boy that clearly had no confidence in himself. "I can't fight at all. I'm just as useless with a spear as I am at every other possible job. I haven't won a _single _fight yet, and I think everyone knows I won't win a fight anytime soon."

Kesi immediately attempted to console the boy that he had earlier been trying to kill. "H-hey, that's not true. You were actually fighting pretty well when you used the broken spear as a staff. I've just used a staff longer than you have."

Kesi almost felt sorry for the kid when the kid shook his head. The boy sounded really upset, like he actually wanted to cry. It was around this time that Kesi noticed that Sa was walking over to where the boy had thrown the staff, although Kesi focused on the boy when the boy gave his reply. "Don't try to make me feel better."

Soon the girl human was walking over to the boy. "No really Ameru, you did really well with the staff. I noticed it when you were fighting the sloth girl too. You fight much better when you use a staff. Maybe it's just the fact that you always use a spear that's throwing you off."

Her attempt to cheer the boy - Ameru - up was clearly not working. "I was _using _it as a staff, and I still los-"

As the girl had been speaking Sa had picked up the staff and looked in Ameru's direction. When Ameru tried to speak, Kesi was startled when Sa abruptly tapped the end of the makeshift staff against Ameru's head. Ameru looked over at Sa, who - to Kesi's partial amusement - simply tapped Ameru on the head again.

At first Kesi thought Sa was trying to cheer Ameru up somehow, but it was clear that Ameru wasn't taking the annoying act well. "Yeah, just keep kicking me while I'm down."

_Tap._

"At least someone's finding it funny."

_Tap._

"Okay, you can stop that now."

_Tap._

"No really, you can stop that."

_Tap._

"Look, will you _please _stop?"

_Tap._

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's _really _starting to annoy me."

_Tap._

"Sa, what _are _you trying to -"

_Tap._

". . ."

_Tap._

"GIVE ME THAT!"

To Kesi's partial amusement Ameru grabbed the staff and yanked it out of Sa's hands before getting to his feet. Ameru glared at Sa before turning and attempting to walk towards the group. Sa had this evil little grin on his face as he watched Ameru walk away from him. Was Sa a prankster? Kesi really wasn't finding it that funny, but Ele was starting to giggle at Ameru's clear annoyance.

Sa meanwhile reached into a pouch on his side, pulling out two maces. Wait, hadn't Tulig broken one of Sa's maces? Kesi guessed it may have been an extra mace that Sa kept with him. However he got the second one, Sa walked up behind Ameru and - to Kesi's surprise - gave Ameru another tap, this time using the mace in his left hand.

Ameru immediately stiffened, and when he spoke next his voice gave away just how annoyed Ameru felt. "You are really enjoying this, aren't you Sa?"

_Tap._ Kesi supposed that meant yes. Ameru was clearly getting pissed off, and he turned and glared at Sa.

"Alright, have you gotten it out of your system?"

To Kesi's surprise Sa stuck his tongue out at Ameru before reaching up with a mace to tap Ameru on the head again. Kesi saw Ameru's eyes slant, and Ameru's grip on the staff was so strong his knuckles were white.

_Tap._

"Sa, stop."

_Tap._

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM SA!? KNOCK IT OFF!"

_Tap._

While Kesi kind of found this amusing, he soon heard Kshtsi talk to the human girl. "Excuse me? What is he doing?"

"I . . . I have no idea. Sa was being really friendly to Ameru before, and I had no idea he would do something so childish. Uh, Sa? Is this really the best time?"

According to the next tap, Sa certainly thought so. Ameru was looking more and more pissed off with each passing second. Kesi was sure Ameru was going to respond violently soon. After two more taps, even Ele spoke up. "Okay - Sa, was it? When _I _know this is a bad idea, it's a bad idea."

Sa's response was to go and attempt to tap Ameru on the head again. This time though Ameru had clearly had enough. Kesi was surprised when Ameru attempted to hit Sa with the staff, giving a frustrated cry of anger and clearly putting a lot of force into his attempt. While Sa managed to block it at the last second he seemed startled at the ferocity of Ameru's attack. Ameru's voice was literally shaking with anger as he spoke. "Now, _stop_."

Sa instead smirked, and he moved his mace in an obvious attempt to tap Ameru's head again. To Kesi's surprise Ameru's expression turned dark, and he began an all-out fight with Sa, to which Sa reacted so quickly Kesi began to wonder if Sa had expected this. While Sa was clearly trying hard, Kesi was surprised how obvious it was that Ameru was dominating the flow of the fight. Ameru was obviously giving it his all, and Kesi wasn't sure he would have been able to hold Ameru off if Ameru had fought him like this.

Sa was actually backing away as Ameru advanced, and before long Ameru managed to disarm Sa in an impressive flurry of moves before - to Kesi's surprise - ducking under Sa's guard and slamming the butt of the staff hard against Sa's chin. Sa staggered backwards, and Ameru immediately whipped the staff around to strike the back of Sa's legs, hitting it hard enough to knock Sa's feet out from under him.

Sa cringed as he felt his jaw, but Kesi was surprised when Ameru aimed his staff at Sa's face, keeping it right in front of Sa. "If you hit me with those maces _one more time _I swear I am going to put this staff through your fucking _skull!_"

Kesi and everyone else could only watch as Ameru glared fiercely at Sa before turning around and marching over to the girl. "Mina, I . . . look, I just can't do this anymore. I . . ."

Wait, was Sa . . . Kesi turned to look at Sa, and was caught completely off-guard to find Sa was _clapping_. Sa had a smile on his face as he grabbed out a white piece of cloth and held it up, doing a rather good impression of a white flag of surrender. Now Kesi was completely baffled. Sa had just pissed Ameru off, gotten the crap beaten out of him, and now Sa was acting like he was _happy _Ameru won? Why-

Kesi turned when he heard a thump to find Ameru sitting down on the ground, looking at Sa like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ameru now looked at his staff, and then at Sa again. By this point Sa had apparently lost interest in the white flag, as he now tore off a strip of the cloth and tied it around his eyes again. As he did so Ameru finally spoke up, clearly in shock over his realization.

"I . . . I . . . _beat _you?"

Sa's response to Ameru's question was an exaggerated nod, a big grin on Sa's face as Ameru was reduced to stutters. "B-but I . . . h-how did I . . . I-I don't believe it. B-but I _never _win! That . . ."

As Ameru continued stuttering Sa got up and began searching the ground for his maces, which the girl helped Sa find. At the same time the girl spoke to Ameru, sounding really surprised. "Wow Ameru, I've never seen you fight like that! You were in _complete _control of the fight! Anyways - uh"

At this the girl turned to face Kesi, and he was surprised to see the blush on her face. "M-my name is Mina. I-uh, I don't hold any grudge against you, I mean, what happened during that fight . . . I-I was ordered to do it. I-I'm actually kind of glad the boy with the insect . . . things . . . on the top of his head was able to stop the arrow. O-okay?"

Kesi had completely forgotten about that. He hadn't remembered that was why they had been fighting. Now that the initial shock of seeing her again had worn off, Kesi could understand that he wasn't in danger from her. "Uh . . . yeah, sorry about . . . freaking out like that."

"I-it's okay, I really can't blame you."

As Kesi spoke Mina handed Sa's second mace to him, and Sa immediately walked over to Ameru - who was still sitting on the ground - and held out a hand to help Ameru to his feet. To Kesi's amusement Ameru gave a meek smile before accepting the hand.

It was only when Ameru asked to spar with Sa that it really clicked for Kesi what Sa must have been doing earlier. Sa had been _trying _to get Ameru to fight him. And as Kesi watched the two of them spar, he noticed something that Ameru clearly didn't.

Sa had been holding back when Ameru had fought him before. It wasn't by much, considering Sa was just _barely _keeping up with Ameru, but it was enough for Kesi to know Sa had intended to make Ameru believe he had won hands-down. So Sa had _intended _to lose that fight? But why? Did he really do such a thing just because he wanted Ameru to feel better?

"Okay, uh, Sa and Ameru? W-we should really get going. I-I mean, we _do _seem to be in enemy territory . . . right?"

Kesi flinched when Ele spoke up, sounding rather amused as she responded to Mina's question. "Well, this is about the point that the borders meet, so I'm not 100% sure on that. To be honest us fishers really shouldn't be using this pond without at least three guards, but since neither side likes to use it I was hoping it wasn't going to be a problem. Anyways it was nice meeting you! We should do this again some time!"

After she spoke Ele stuck her tongue out at Mina, giving such a teasing expression that Kesi had to hold back the desire to laugh. Tulig, Kesi, and Kshtsi agreed and bid the hunter and her guards adieu. In return Mina waved goodbye. Ameru initially didn't wave goodbye, although it looked more like he didn't do so because he was distracted. Sa had to nudge Ameru in the side and nod to the fishing group before Ameru finally gave an 'oh!' and waved goodbye, a timid smile on his face.

With that Mina and Ameru left the clearing. Sa however did not. He instead turned his head in the general direction of Kshtsi's location, before turning to leave. As Sa walked out of sight he casually raised his hand in a farewell gesture.

Kesi, Ele, Tulig, and Kshtsi all gasped when they saw Sa's left palm. Going across the entire palm was a vicious scar. Now that Kesi saw it, he realized that the scar had the overall appearance of a very slender pole or something. But how could a pole make such a nasty wound?

"I-I don't believe it."

Kesi immediately turned to find Kshtsi was very pale, and in obvious shock. When Ele asked Kshtsi what was up Kshtsi surprised the group by noting he needed to tell Unibas something right away. While everyone was surprised Ele noted that they were just about done for the day anyways as soon as they brought the caught fish back.

It wasn't long before they finished putting the fish in the bags, and Ele went to wake up Ereth. To Kesi's surprise the found Ereth looked ready to crawl into her own grave. "I . . . I'll go after I . . . get more sleep. Don't worry about . . . about me."

Kesi couldn't help but cringe. He guessed that Ereth hadn't been able to sleep through all the chaos that had just happened, and it was costing her dearly. But Tulig surprised Kesi when she lied down next to Ereth and snuggled with her. It was like blowing out a candle. Ereth's eyes fell shut and she began snoring in seconds.

Tulig gave a silent giggle before she waved to Kesi, Ele, and a distracted Kshtsi. The meaning behind Tulig's actions was obvious to Kesi. She was telling them that she was going to stay with Ereth for now, and that they should go on without her. Apparently this wasn't too uncommon, as Ele simply smiled before making silent gestures to Kesi and Kshtsi, telling them to follow her. Before long the three of them were headed back to the city.

* * *

><p>SO, I was reading a comic on a website a few weeks ago. It was one of those fan made comics about the Legend of Zelda. In it, Link was shown to have narcolepsy (just for a recurring gag), and I thought 'what the hell is narcolepsy?' So - as I usually do whenever I find a word I don't know - I looked it up on Wikipedia. My thought process was as follows.<p>

'huh, irregular sleeping patterns . . . can only sleep for an hour or two at a time . . . extreme sleep deprivation . . . OH MY GOD I JUST FOUND OUT WHY ERETH'S ALWAYS TIRED!' To put it simply, Ereth has narcolepsy :)

I've intended to have a second meeting between Mina and Kesi for a while now, but had a lot of difficulty trying to figure out how to make it happen. Especially when I knew Tulig would respond VERY violently. I'll admit that faded away from the spotlight a little too fast in this chapter for my liking, but here's the bottom line: never try to kill Kesi. Tulig doesn't like it when people try that, and she sure as hell isn't afraid to continue the cycle of revenge.

And yes, I had a really evil smile on my face when I wrote about Sa annoying the crap out of Ameru. Anyways, I've been giving not-so-subtle hints to Ameru's natural talent with staffs for long enough. Now Ameru himself knows, and I intend to show Sa taking advantage of Ameru's new-found skill in the next chapter.

Speaking of Sa, Kshtsi sure reacted strangely to seeing the scar on Sa's left hand. I wonder what he plans to tell Unibas.

Anyways I have the next chapter planned out, but I still need to write it. Don't know how long that will take.

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable.  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)<br>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<p> 


	77. Hidden Talents

Happy belated new year!

I had a busy January, but now that that's over I had a bit more time to devote to writing. Thus, I spent most of that valuable time by playing League of Legends. For those of you that think that I wasted time, I am reminded of a saying. "Time wasted having fun is not wasted at all."

Anyways, here's a new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 74<em>**: Elerad is being briefed by a conflicted Mina on what happened. Due to poor communication on Mina's end, Elerad strongly suspects Sa of being a +Anima spy. But when Ameru nearly snaps thanks to a comment made by Nidec, Sa surprises everyone by slapping Nidec and obviously offering his hand in friendship to Ameru, which makes Ameru turn back to his normal self. With a little unintentional help from Ameru, Elerad finally learns the truth of what happened during Mina and Ameru's encounter with the +Anima, and he ultimately notes to himself that even if Sa was sent to the city intentionally, the person who did so likely has honest intentions. Because of his new friendship with Ameru, Elerad has Sa join Mina's hunting group as a second guard, and Elerad soon tells the group to continue hunting once Ameru has a new spear.

**_Chapter_** **_75_**: Edreg, Adran (Edreg's father), Sarysi, and Ereth are walking through the forest when a +Anima named Baliwe approaches them. This +Anima is shown to be rather unstable, and is revealed to be a special type of +Anima called a +Feral. +Ferals are explained to be +Anima that have inherited powerful instincts from their Anima, with one instinct that's strong enough to induce an involuntary transformation. Because of this Baliwe is shown to be very unhinged, terrified of what he may potentially do to others. Lexa soon appears, having heard Baliwe, and Edreg's startled and horrified when his father begins flirting with Lexa. Unlike what Edreg expects, Lexa seems to act positively to the flirting, and agrees to take a walk with Adran. When Edreg follows Lexa and Adran, he finds they are talking about Zacyr, and witnesses Lexa turn down Adran's advances before Lexa reveals she and Adran were quite aware that Edreg was following them. With that Lexa begins to lead father and son back to the city, and the chapter ends.

**_Chapter__ 76_: **Kesi, Ele, Kshtsi, and Tulig are fishing when Mina, Ameru, and Sa end up stumbling into their chosen fishing spot. After Kesi reveals to the other fishers that Mina is the one that nearly killed him during an earlier battle between the +Anima side and the human side, Tulig nearly kills Mina before Sa and Ameru manage to get Tulig off of Mina. The scuffle soon escalates into a battle, with Sa and Ameru fighting Kesi and Tulig. After the fight is stopped by the others, Ameru gets depressed that he lost - _again_ - and considers quitting his job as a guard. In response Sa reveals - in a very annoying way - that Ameru has a hidden talent in utilizing staffs as weapons. Once everyone's calmed down Mina, Ameru, and Sa leave the clearing while the fishing group prepares to pack up. But before Sa leaves, he waves goodbye - revealing a vicious scar on his hand.

* * *

><p>Mina didn't say anything as she, Ameru, and Sa walked through the forest. She was done trying to hunt for the day. There was too much on her mind.<p>

She couldn't believe she had just seen the boy that she had tried to kill. That had been the same boy that Mina had attempted to kill during that fight. Mina couldn't believe how much that fact disturbed her, but it did. Now she even knew the boy's name, Kesi. Kesi obviously had a lot of friends, even a girlfriend, and Mina had tried to kill him. The thought almost made her throw up.

Perhaps the strangest thing about what had happened was that Mina no longer felt the desire to avenge her brother. Well, maybe that wasn't the right way to word it. Mina still wanted revenge. That much hadn't changed. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't do it anymore. Not after seeing the boy she had tried to kill. She didn't have the heart to do it.

Unlike Mina though, Ameru and Sa were both clearly in high spirits. Ameru seemed delighted now that he had finally won a fight, and Sa seemed very happy just that Ameru was happy. Mina couldn't help the smile she gave whenever she looked back at the two of them. Ameru was clearly itching to spar against Sa again, and Mina suspected that the instant they were told they were done working for the day Sa and Ameru were going to spar until nightfall.

It didn't take much longer before Mina, Sa, and Ameru entered the human side of the city. Mina was startled to find Nidec standing outside the alchemist's shop, looking pissed off beyond belief. The instant Nidec saw Ameru and Sa, Mina knew just from Nidec's expression that there was going to be trouble.

Nidec immediately began a brisk march in Ameru's direction, clearly intending to chew him out again. Mina immediately moved to stand in front of Ameru, but unlike before Nidec did not stop. Her expression only turned deadlier, and she shoved Mina out of the way before glaring directly at Ameru's startled face. "Broke your spear again, huh Ameru?"

By this time several passerby had noticed the confrontation, and to Mina's shock they only watched with cruel grins on their faces. They obviously thought Ameru was about to get what he deserved. Ameru was clearly shocked, and he soon blushed and tried to back away. Nidec however continued to glare at Ameru as she continued talking, refusing to let him back away.

"It's not enough for you to come here and ruin our lives, is it? You have to take Mina and trick her into letting you humiliate and degrade her with every comment. This has gone on for long enough. Get out of the city and find someone else's life to ruin, you _retard._"

Mina felt her blood begin to boil as she got to her feet. She curled up her left hand into a fist, and approached Nidec while Nidec continued chewing out the clearly troubled Ameru. "Nidec."

"Don't interrupt me Mina, I-"

Mina's fist connected with the side of Nidec's face. She put all the force behind the punch that she could muster. As Nidec staggered back, covering the injured part of her head, Mina heard a gasp run through the on-lookers. Mina, who was shaking in rage at this point, bellowed at Nidec. "FIND SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE TO RUIN YOU _**BITCH**__!_"

Nidec was obviously startled, but to Mina's shock yet amusement Nidec quickly became the victim of a second punch, this one from Sa. Sa looked just as fired up as Mina, and he soon stood in front of the clearly startled Ameru and gave a quiet snarl towards Nidec. Nidec clearly realized she was outnumbered, and she began to retreat from the trio. She eventually marched to the alchemist shop she owned and glared at the trio from a safe distance. "Mina, he can't even do his JOB! His spear was broken _again!_"

To Mina's anger several of the passerby agreed with Nidec. That really seemed to unsettle Ameru, and Mina grew concerned at the obvious mental anguish Ameru was feeling. She was wondering what to do when Sa abruptly tapped Ameru on the forehead with his mace again. Unlike before, this got Ameru to look at Sa in clear distraught. Mina herself was about to deck Sa when she suddenly realized what he was doing, and grinned before she spoke. "Ameru, he wants to spar with you right here, right now."

Ameru seemed startled, and several of the onlookers seemed amused, making comments on how Ameru would never win. Sa however backed away from Ameru and got into a fighting stance, a large grin on his face. While it was obvious Sa wasn't going to take no for an answer, Ameru seemed to be having difficulty with the idea of fighting in front of the crowd. "A-are you sure you want to do it right here Sa? I-I mean, this is a lot of people here."

Sa simply gave a grin before he nodded. Now Mina had caught on, and she smiled before she backed away from the boys. "Don't make him tap you on the head again Ameru - though I'm sure he will if he has to."

She giggled when Sa gave a tap of confirmation directly on Ameru's forehead. It took three more of those taps before Sa finally got Ameru to agree to fight, with Ameru looking rather irked. It wasn't long before the two of them were sparring, but Mina was startled to find . . . it didn't look like Ameru was actually trying.

Sa obviously noticed it to, and he gave a slight glare towards the crowd when several onlookers noted this was about what they expected. In response Sa began an elegant flurry of moves, easily dodging Ameru's half-hearted strikes. But every time that Sa looked like he was about to hit Ameru, Sa instead tapped Ameru on the forehead again.

It wasn't having the effect it had before. By five taps, Mina noticed that Ameru looked about ready to cry. She was about to tell Sa to stop - if only because she was certain Ameru was going to break down at any second - when Ameru's expression turned a vicious glare. With a fierce war-cry Ameru made his next move, moving a good deal faster than before as he began pushing back Sa. Sa immediately grinned as he also began trying harder, clearly trying to keep pace with Ameru's quickly-rising skill. Before long Mina and the onlookers were in awe as Ameru moved with speed and strength that no one in the crowd besides Mina had expected either boy to have. Mina herself was amazed at Ameru's pure creativity with the staff, and although she saw Ameru's ferocity in his earlier fight against Sa it didn't make the speed any less incredible.

Sa however was showing ferocity he hadn't shown before, forcing Ameru to constantly move faster and faster, until both boys were dancing around the street, parrying each blow and trying to gain the advantage. By this time Mina found the crowd had grown, and she found a practically beaming Elerad among the crowd, watching as Ameru and Sa continued to spar.

Ameru suddenly gained the advantage when Sa attempted to block the staff, accidentally leaving an opening for Ameru to dart under Sa's guard and quickly hit Sa's wrist, which made Sa drop one of his maces. While Sa continued attempting to fight, it was already decided. Ameru clearly knew so too, as he had a large grin on his face as he asked if Sa surrendered. In response Sa - clearly wanting to continue the sparring match - moved to strike Ameru.

Mina saw Ameru stiffen before he moved, avoiding the strike and slamming the back of his staff into the back of Sa's head. Everyone was startled when Sa immediately dropped his remaining mace and fell to the ground. Ameru looked just as surprised, and when Ameru tried to help Sa back to his feet Sa made no attempt to get up. Now Mina was worried. Had Ameru just knocked Sa out, or had he really managed to injure Sa?

It wasn't long before Elerad told a nearby person to see if Sa was okay. While they did so Mina blushed when she saw the look of guilt on Ameru's face. He obviously hadn't meant to hit Sa that hard, and he quickly offered to take Sa to the doctor's. To Mina's surprise the person examining Sa grinned at Ameru. "Relax, I've seen enough concussions to know he'll wake up soon enough. Just give him a minute or two and he'll come back around. Anyways Ameru . . . you certainly have talent with a staff."

To Mina's amusement Ameru flinched, and Mina was delighted when the crowd behind her began talking to Ameru. "Yeah, sorry about giving you a hard time. I had no idea you could _fight _like that."

"If you keep practicing with a staff, I think you'd become one hell of a guard."

Mina was delighted when she saw the large smile that appeared on Ameru's face. She had never seen him look so happy before. In fact, he was so happy that Ameru actually started crying. When Mina asked if he was okay, Ameru waved it off. "I-I'm sorry, I just . . . I-I feel like I finally . . . I think I finally found where I wanted to be."

Elerad seemed just as delighted as Ameru was, and - to Mina's surprise - soon told Ameru and Mina to follow him. When they found Sa getting to his feet just a few seconds later, Elerad noted that Sa should follow them too.

Elerad brought them to his mansion again, and soon sat down in his chair. "I'm delighted to see you have gained some confidence in yourself Ameru. That was a very impressive duel you had with Sa. Anyways, how'd your last hunting trip go?"

Mina blushed before she noted that they had stumbled into another group of +Anima, and - while she _was _embarrassed about the scuffle - she quickly summarized what happened. She apologized for not having brought back any game, but Elerad waved away the apology. "You're lucky Mina. Not many people can tick off Tulig and live to tell about it. Anyways Ameru, how about you, Mina, and Sa have the day off? I'm sure you're itching to spar with Sa again."

Within a few hours Mina was sitting near the window of her room, watching as Ameru and Sa sparred in a small empty alleyway behind the building she lived in. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she watched the two of them clash again and again, pushing each other to their limits in order to grow stronger and better at their jobs. The two of them looked so happy.

Mina was so engrossed in the fight, in fact, that she didn't notice that there were two other people watching the fight. But that wasn't entirely her fault given the stealth these two women possessed. They were watching from on top of a nearby building, one still wearing the cowl that anyone in the city could recognize. The other woman wore the attire that Elerad required all his ghosts to wear - the full white bodysuit that Elerad had hand-made for them himself.

The two women were watching the fight with a bit of amusement, and after a bit the ghost turned to look at Lexa. "I would never have guessed that Ameru was so talented with a staff."

Lexa's response consisted of a sigh. For a bit the two of them watched the two boys spar, before Lexa abruptly spoke up. "I'm more surprised at the change in that expression. In just one day, he's been freed of the year of stress that burdened him."

"Well actually, Ameru's been stressed for _much _longer than a -"

Lexa immediately turned to look at the ghost, then nodded to the boy wielding the maces. "I meant him."

With an 'ah' the ghost focused her eyes on the boy. When Lexa spoke, the ghost missed what she said and required a repeat. "I said that he's taking a huge risk. Elerad's going to find out sooner or later."

The ghost chuckled before nodding towards 'Sa'. "Give the poor kid some credit. He dyed his hair blonde and somehow managed to blind himself. He even went so far as to take a weapon no one's seen him use and make it appear to be his weapon of choice. If he wasn't wearing a shirt and a blindfold made out of the same substance that he makes ropes out of, I would never be able to tell that it's Zacyr in disguise."

"Rablintem"

When the ghost looked at Lexa in clear confusion, Lexa gave a single chuckle of amusement. "He took a dose of rablintem. It causes a person's eyes to temporarily cloud over until they can't see anything at all. Knowing Zacyr, he likely took it an hour or so before he and Elerad interrupted the fight between Ameru and Ereth, so it's probably already wearing off."

"Ah, so that's why he's wearing the blindfold differently. The way he wore the blindfold before made it easy for people to knock the blindfold off of him. He must have wanted them to see his eyes when they were clouded over. Now he's put it on much tighter, so it can't fall off accidentally. Since people have already seen him without the blindfold on, they'll just assume he's sick of it being knocked off."

"Yes. I admit, that was a good plan on Zacyr's part. By the way, why haven't you informed Elerad about the fact that Sa's actually Zacyr? Isn't warning him about a potential threat part of your job?"

The ghost gave a light chuckle before she eyed Lexa with obvious amusement. "Oh come now. This is Elerad's _nephew_. While Zacyr can't really be blamed for making a blindfold and shirt out of the substance he makes his rope out of - as he has no clue that Elerad knows Zacyr can do so - Elerad should have noticed right away. If Elerad really hasn't figured it out yet then I'm just going to sit back and watch with amusement. Besides, it doesn't look like Zacyr means him any harm. I'll only tell him if I see Zacyr try to make a move. Speaking of which, why'd you send him back to the city?"

"I didn't. Ryca told Zacyr to leave. I didn't expect him to come back in disguise like this. To be honest, I'm not even sure why he came back. Unibas isn't too happy about Zacyr's decision. He said he was going to get a group of +Anima together for a rescue mission."

The ghost just smiled as she returned her attention to the two boys. "Oh come now, he doesn't need to be rescued. If he really wanted to go back to the +Anima side, all he has to do is walk there. By the time we figured out he was gone, he'd already be there."

"You know how Unibas gets when something unexpected happens."

The ghost couldn't help but chuckle. "True. In fact when I first saw 'Sa', I was sure he was sent to assassinate Ameru. Am I correct in presuming the only reason Unibas didn't pull something like that was because Ameru's on the human side, so only we'd have to deal with him if he had snapped?"

"Correct."

The two of them went back to watching the spar, and after Ameru managed to disarm Zacyr in a flurry of moves the ghost made a little scratch in the rooftop. "That's five matches won by Ameru, two won by Zacyr. Anyways, I'd love to watch this for a little bit more time, but -"

Lexa gave a sigh before she backed away from the edge of the rooftop, waiting until she was firmly out of sight before standing up. "Same here. Whatever Zacyr's trying to do, Unibas is going to ruin it if he attempts to rescue Zacyr. While I doubt Unibas will listen, I have to try convincing him to not attempt a rescue. Give my regards to Nidec, Jill."

The ghost - Jill - smiled as she shook her head. "You really are an asshole, you know that?"

"I consider myself a predator."

Jill chuckled as she and Lexa walked away from each other, Lexa quickly making her way down into a nearby alleyway and heading back to the +Anima side. Jill meanwhile headed towards Elerad's mansion, smiling when she heard the sounds of another sparring match beginning between the two boys.

* * *

><p>You might have noticed that I included a word in this chapter that I have not included in this story before - or any story I have made, for that matter. That word was 'retard'. As a person with Aspergers and ADHD, a younger brother with Down Syndrome, and an older sister with Bipolar Disorder, I personally find the word very unsettling when people use it like it just means 'stupid'. So when I needed a word for Nidec to say that would anger Mina and Sa, I turned to the word that never fails to unsettle me. This is also why I have BOTH of them punch Nidec. I DO NOT LIKE THE WORD. That is not to say I'm going to demand everyone to stop using the word. If you want to use it, I have no intention to tell you to stop.<p>

Just wanted to get that off my chest. ANYWAYS, I've thought about how to reveal that Sa was really Zacyr in disguise over and over again. It went through a LOT of rewrites to reach this point. I mean, of course it was supposed to be shocking. If that wasn't my intention I would just have told you straight away, or given REALLY obvious hints. But I just had the hardest time trying to find a way to fit that revelation in.

Is that everything I wanted to say? Let's see . . . personal rant about 'that word', check. 'I can't believe it was so hard to find a way to reveal Sa's true identity', check. 'I'm working on a story that won't be on fanfiction about a five year old boy that becomes an advisor for an evil overlord (idea gained from rule number 12)' . . . meh, still working on the basics for it, so you don't need to know. :P

Alright, that's everything!

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable.  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)<br>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1  
>Named: 1 (Jill)<p>

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<p> 


	78. The Broken Anima

Hi again! How's life treating everyone?

Now, before I give you the chapter, I want to tell something to those who have had the patience to wait for my now-absurdly-slow updating schedule. I am done making excuses for myself on my slow updates. There's no way for me to deny it anymore. I'm just . . . slower now than I used to be. Quite a bit slower in my writing. I have a new excuse for every chapter, and I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing them.

So to you, my loyal and clearly patient fans, I wish to say one thing. I'm sorry that I keep making you wait so long.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter<em>** **_75_**: Edreg, Adran (Edreg's father), Sarysi, and Ereth are walking through the forest when a +Anima named Baliwe approaches them. This +Anima is shown to be rather unstable, and is revealed to be a special type of +Anima called a +Feral. +Ferals are explained to be +Anima that have inherited powerful instincts from their Anima, with one instinct that's strong enough to induce an involuntary transformation. Because of this Baliwe is shown to be very unhinged, terrified of what he may potentially do to others. Lexa soon appears, having heard Baliwe, and Edreg's startled and horrified when his father begins flirting with Lexa. Unlike what Edreg expects, Lexa seems to act positively to the flirting, and agrees to take a walk with Adran. When Edreg follows Lexa and Adran, he finds they are talking about Zacyr, and witnesses Lexa turn down Adran's advances before Lexa reveals she and Adran were quite aware that Edreg was following them. With that Lexa begins to lead father and son back to the city, and the chapter ends.

**_Chapter__ 76_: **Kesi, Ele, Kshtsi, and Tulig are fishing when Mina, Ameru, and Sa end up stumbling into their chosen fishing spot. After Kesi reveals to the other fishers that Mina is the one that nearly killed him during an earlier battle between the +Anima side and the human side, Tulig nearly kills Mina before Sa and Ameru manage to get Tulig off of Mina. The scuffle soon escalates into a battle, with Sa and Ameru fighting Kesi and Tulig. After the fight is stopped by the others, Ameru gets depressed that he lost - _again_ - and considers quitting his job as a guard. In response Sa reveals - in a very annoying way - that Ameru has a hidden talent in utilizing staffs as weapons. Once everyone's calmed down Mina, Ameru, and Sa leave the clearing while the fishing group prepares to pack up. But before Sa leaves, he waves goodbye - revealing a vicious scar on his hand.

**_Chapter 77:_** Ameru, Mina, and Sa return to the city to find an enraged Nidec (like usual) waiting for them. Nidec starts to insult and belittle Ameru, which earns her two punches to the face - one from Mina and one from Sa. When Sa realizes the rest of the human side of the city agrees with Nidec that Ameru should leave, his response is to make Ameru spar with Sa - revealing Ameru's talent to the crowd. Eventually Ameru, Mina, and Sa are allowed the day off, which Ameru and Sa immediately put to use to spar in a secluded sot behind Mina's room. Unnoticed by them is that Lexa and one of Elerad's ghosts are watching them. During their own conversation Lexa and the ghost reveal that Sa is in fact Zacyr in disguise, and that Zacyr has alerted the +Anima side to the fact that he has returned. Soon both Lexa and the ghost go to report to their separate leaders - with the ghost noting that she won't rat Zacyr out.

* * *

><p>The boy named Oroco was sitting on his bed and looking at the ceiling of his room. He was trying to make sense of everything that had happened yesterday. They had tricked Zacyr and ended up getting him all alone with Thraw. Thraw had been the powerhouse of Oroco's team, and besides for the few times she had ended up against Lexa or Doctor Roo, Thraw never failed to beat an opponent. She was unshakable, a true warrior that could only be scared by Lexa.<p>

By all rights, Zacyr shouldn't have lived through the assassination attempt - his death at Lexa's hands not counting, as that was not part of their assassination. But then Oroco had heard that . . . that _roar_. He had then heard Thraw scream, and Thraw had ended up smashing through the door and flying out of the building. It was true that she probably would have been fine if her neck hadn't smashed against the corner of a nearby building, but . . . what the hell had _thrown _her? It couldn't have been Lexa - even Lexa wasn't that strong.

Then there was the biggest mystery of all - the +Anima mark that had been on Zacyr's back. It had been appearing and disappearing so rapidly, like it was trying to decide whether or not to be there. Oroco had never seen anything like that. But even if he ignored that fact . . . that +Anima mark had been _huge._ It had taken up Zacyr's entire _back!_ Oroco lifted his shirt and glanced at the +Anima mark on his side, which looked so puny in comparison.

He kept trying to tell himself that +Anima marks could be any size, but . . . but he had only seen such a gigantic +Anima mark once before. The problem was that he couldn't remember whose +Anima mark had been that large. Uh, who _was _it? Krej? Thraw? No, neither of them. Krej had a +Anima mark larger than Oroco's, but not half the size of Zacyr's. Thraw . . . no, hers might have covered her head but even it was no match for that behemoth.

While Oroco tried to put it out of his mind, the mystery of Zacyr refused to rest. He felt like he was so close to knowing what had happened, that if he could just remember who it was that had had such a large +Anima mark, or if he could remember where he had heard such a similar roar, that he would know exactly what happened that had caused the assassination to fail.

"Hey Oroco?"

Oroco glanced at the doorway to find Krej standing there, looking rather confused. He immediately sat up and did his best to hide his frustration behind a gentle smile. Krej had been coming and going since yesterday, helping to fill in the gap that Yev's death had left by working as a temporary messenger for Unibas.

Now that Oroco really looked at her, he noticed that she was fidgeting. Thanks to the year that Oroco had bonded with Krej he could tell immediately that something was gnawing at her. She didn't want to be talking to Oroco right now. And as odd as that was, what surprised Oroco was how much it hurt to see her acting like she didn't want to see Oroco. It was only once she spoke that Oroco realized why.

"Unibas . . . he wants to see you. I-I don't know what happened, but I've never seen him so tense."

Oroco gave a slight groan before he got out of bed. So she was sent to tell Oroco that Unibas was mad at him again. While he noted to her that he hadn't done anything, in reality Oroco was wracking his mind and trying to figure out what he might have done today to set Unibas off. Unibas hadn't seemed like he was been in a bad mood when Oroco had spoken to him earlier. Then again, maybe it was someone else setting him off. Just because Oroco had a natural talent of pissing Unibas off didn't mean he was the only one that could.

It wasn't long before Oroco was walking towards Unibas' mansion with Krej obediently following behind him. Oroco was wondering whether he had accidentally stolen Unibas' breakfast when he got his first glimpse of Unibas, and realized that Krej had not been exaggerating when she had said that Unibas was tenser than she had ever seen him before.

Unibas was leaning against the mansion doors with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Whatever was going through Unibas' mind at the moment was clearly angering him, as his right ear was doing its annoyed twitch with an alarming frequency. When Oroco took another step forwards_ both _of Unibas' ears twitched and his head whipped up to face Oroco as Unibas' eyes flew open.

It was only now that Unibas was looking at him that Oroco realized just how screwed he was. Unibas wasn't even trying to hide his anger. But then Oroco realized something much more alarming. What if Unibas _was _trying to hide his anger? What if what Oroco was seeing was just a _fraction _of the rage that was coursing through Unibas' veins right now? Either way, Oroco immediately decided to be extremely careful with his words.

Unibas didn't wait for Oroco to reach him. Instead Unibas began a brisk march over to Oroco's position, and when Unibas' own bodyguard - Rhewol the howler monkey +Anima - tried to stop Unibas Unibas' reply was a sharp, brisk bark. The startled Rhewol immediately backed down, though both he and Unibas' second bodyguard - the jackrabbit +Anima - looked very concerned as Unibas marched towards the now scared Oroco.

Oroco attempted a polite greeting, complete with putting his hand over his heart and bowing. But Unibas startled Oroco by grabbing him by the shoulders and _violently _shaking him. When Unibas spoke, his words were surprisingly quiet, but full of malice. "_How did you know it was only a dry bite? How do you know that Zacyr's alive? What the hell did you do to convince him to come back to the city!?_"

The unexpected accusations got Oroco to flinch. What the hell was he talking about!? "Zacyr's still alive!? He's coming _back!?_"

Oroco cut off when Unibas gave a very loud bark directly at Oroco's face. What followed were the longest ten seconds of Oroco's life as Unibas stared him directly in the eye, daring Oroco to give Unibas an excuse for Unibas to rip Oroco's head off. At around the eight second mark Oroco realized that Unibas seemed to be looking for something in Oroco.

The silence abruptly ended when Unibas pushed Oroco away from him with a snarl. "_How can you not know!? This doesn't make any sense! Why did he not leave when we gave him the chance!? Why is he doing something so STUPID!?_"

Holy crap. Oroco hadn't seen Unibas so angry since Oroco had lost his entire squad of fighters. Oroco tried to back away, scared of what Unibas might do when Unibas clearly wanted so badly just to maim something. It wasn't just Oroco either. Several +Anima that were passing by were giving looks of disbelief as their usually gentle ruler began shaking in clear rage. Eventually Rhewol walked forwards and timidly attempted to speak to Unibas. "Sir?"

"_**WHAT!?**_"

While Rhewol was obviously startled by the viciousness in Unibas' voice, he managed to power through his unease. "Sir, this isn't the place to . . . A-at least go back into the mansion before you talk about this."

To Oroco's relief Unibas left out a big sigh before he agreed, although Oroco's relief turned to dread when Unibas commanded Oroco to follow him. Before long Oroco and Unibas entered the mansion, though to Oroco's surprise Krej immediately slipped in as well, looking at Oroco with worried eyes.

Almost the instant they were all inside the mansion and the door was closed Unibas did something Oroco had only heard him do once before. Unibas lifted back his head and gave a loud, drawn out howl. It wasn't a signal, and it wasn't even out of anger. Unibas was frustrated beyond belief. Oroco wasn't sure he was going to live through this. But to his surprise Unibas suddenly whipped his head around to face Oroco, a look of anger in Unibas' eyes. "I want a completely honest answer from you, Oroco. Did you really not provoke Zacyr into returning?"

"I-I thought Lexa had killed him, I-I didn't even know he was still _alive._"

To his shock and alarm Unibas gave a low growl. Unibas' right ear was twitching so fast now that it almost looked like it was having a seizure. "But what about _before _we faked killing him!? Did you say something that would cause him to refuse to leave!? It doesn't make any sense! If you didn't do anything, _then why is he joining the HUMAN side!? Why did he even come BACK!?_"

Oroco himself was just as startled. Zacyr had been given the chance to escape, and instead he just came back and switched sides!? That was a _betrayal!_ Though once his momentary shock had passed Oroco realized how absurd that thought was. 'Switched sides'? The +Anima side had been against him from the start. A better way of saying it was that Zacyr had gotten sick of the +Anima side's treatment of him, and was now getting a bit of payback. After they had beaten the dog so much the dog had decided to bite back.

"I see you've calmed down."

Oroco paled as he whipped his head towards a nearby hallway, trying to find the source of the - hopefully - sarcastic comment. Standing in the hallway was the cowl-wearing terror known as Lexa. She looked rather annoyed as she began a casual walk towards Unibas. At this point Oroco was expecting Unibas to calm down, if only so he didn't tick off Lexa. So he was considerably surprised when Unibas instead glared at Lexa. "Well? What is he doing? What is he planning? What is that little brat trying to accomplish by returning here!?"

Lexa didn't take to the command well at all. Oroco could see the clear disapproval in Lexa's eyes as she lifted her chin and frowned at Unibas. "How pathetic. To answer your question, he's currently making friends with Ameru. I'd also like to note that thanks to Zacyr's influence, Ameru has become popular with the human side and has stopped following in Sidas' footsteps."

Oroco didn't understand half of the information. He had never heard of a person named Ameru, or a person named Sidas. But it was clear that Unibas understood. Unibas didn't seem to like the news from the way he snarled. "So that's what he came back for, just to stop Ameru!? That's complete bullshit, he didn't even _know _about Ameru! He-"

"I did not say that he came back to do so. It appears to me that he picked up on Ameru's situation while staying on the human side, and just became friends with him because he realized Ameru was lonely. I do not know why Zacyr came back, but I do know that he doesn't seem openly hostile to us."

While it was clear both Lexa and Unibas were ready to fight each other - and it was just as clear to Oroco who the winner would be - everyone was distracted when a startled 'huh!?' came from down the same hallway Lexa had come through. When Oroco turned to look he was startled to find Ryca standing there, his eyes open wide at the scene of Unibas snapping at Lexa.

Lexa immediately turned to look at Ryca, and to Oroco's surprise she spoke gently to Ryca. "Unibas is just throwing a temper tantrum because we learned that Zacyr has returned to the city."

Even Lexa seemed surprised when Ryca's startled expression immediately switched to one of wonder. He gave a squeal of glee as he happily clapped his hands. "I knew it! I knew he wouldn't leave! I knew -"

"_You knew!?_"

Ryca's expression immediately changed to one of worry, which Oroco couldn't really blame him for. Unibas now had his attention turned to Ryca, and he demanded to know why Zacyr would have returned. "You never, _ever _mentioned that he'd come back! Why on _earth_ did he come back!? He -"

"He just . . . he didn't want to leave his friends behind. H-he told me himself that he'd do everything he could to make sure his friends would be okay, even _me. _I-"

"_YOU!? _Ryca, I've played along with your sensitivity for long enough! If he was really your friend Ryca"

While Unibas spoke he marched over to Ryca. Lexa watched with a cold and calculated gaze as Unibas abruptly grabbed Ryca's shirt and pulled it up so Ryca's stomach and his chest were visible. "_Then why did he give you these SCARS!?_"

Oroco and Krej both gasped at what they saw. Ryca's entire chest was covered with vicious scars, several of which were absurdly close to his heart. No way, was Unibas saying that _Zacyr _was responsible for those scars!? Ryca was obviously scared now, and he frantically stated that it was because of 'that'. To Oroco's surprise Unibas roughly let go of Ryca. "That's not an answer! Don't give me that 'feral' bullshit! After seeing enough of Baliwe's transformations myself I don't believe it anymore! You were able to calm down Baliwe when he had _no idea _who you were! If Zacyr was your friend, you should have easily been able to stop him! Do you realize that he nearly _killed _you!?"

Wait, _what _was that!? Zacyr was a _+Feral!? _No one had told Oroco that! As he went into thought about that, Lexa marched over to Unibas and dragged him back from Ryca. "_That is enough, Unibas! Pull yourself together! I don't care HOW unsettled you are that Zacyr's back, don't you DARE talk to Ryca like that!_"

Oroco didn't catch any more of the conversation. He finally had the facts he needed, and his mind immediately went into overtime trying to decipher them. Zacyr had become a +Feral, and apparently attacked Ryca. Unibas, who had now seen Baliwe quite a few times, was convinced that Zacyr had attacked Ryca because he secretly hated Ryca. After all, Baliwe wouldn't attack Ryca even when Ryca had been a stranger to him.

But as all the blood drained from Oroco's face, he finally made the connection. Where had he seen a +Anima mark as large as Zacyr's? He had seen it while he was forced to fight in the +Anima fight ring. Zacyr's +Anima mark was comparable in size to the mark on the young boy with the ring name 'Dragon'.

All of a sudden Oroco was back there. He could still remember how startled he was when Dragon, a new fighter that had never fought in the ring before the match, had tearfully spoken to Oroco. Now that wasn't all that unusual. Several new fighters begged their opponents to not kill them, since they didn't understand that the fight wouldn't end until one of them died. But Dragon hadn't begged for his life. He had begged for his _death_.

Oroco could remember how startled the crowd had been as well, how the announcer himself had a moment of confusion before he tried to ensure the crowd that the fight would be unlike any other. Well, the announcer sure hadn't been wrong about _that. _Once Oroco had shaken off his shock, he had tried to kill Dragon with a swift kick to the neck.

He hadn't been prepared for what happened upon his attempt. Dragon had transformed into his +Anima form, and . . . to fully explain it, he went completely berserk. Oroco had suddenly found himself fighting what he could only call a wild animal.

"Oroco?"

Oroco didn't pay any heed to his name. There was sweat pouring down his face as memories he had so desperately tried to forget now forced themselves back into his mind. Dragon had been so fast and so vicious. His only intent had been to murder Oroco. But even after Oroco had found himself struggling for his life against the terror that was a true +Feral, that was nothing compared to what happened when he had unintentionally kicked Dragon into the air. At that moment Dragon had became aware of the crowd, and - more importantly - the exit.

What had followed was what Oroco could only call a massacre. Dragon had wanted to get away, and in his +Feral form he hadn't given a shit about how many people he had to kill to do so. He had left a bloody trail of destruction in his mad dash for the exit. By far the worst part for Oroco was when Dragon grabbed a young child and launched her into the ring headfirst. Oroco had gotten a first seat experience on what happens when a little girl lands on her head after a twenty foot drop. He still had nightmares about it.

"Oroco!"

By this point Oroco was shuddering. But before he could think about the event more, a firm hand slapped Oroco along the side of the face. The hit scrambled his thoughts and forced him to return to the present moment. When he looked around he was surprised to find that Unibas, Lexa, Ryca, and Krej were all looking at him. Unibas' anger had been replaced with concern, and he asked Oroco if he was alright.

"You think Baliwe's the worst +Feral?"

Oroco shuddered again as everyone else flinched. Unibas now had a look of shock as he asked what Oroco meant, to which Oroco hesitantly began his explanation. "I . . . I fought a +Feral named Dragon once. It was in the +Anima fight ring. He was on a whole different level than Baliwe_. _The instant Dragon's +Feral took over he was completely controlled by instinct. The timid boy that had begged me to kill him suddenly was fighting against me tooth and nail. Then I tossed him high enough that he could see the crowd, and he saw the exit. I think that all he wanted to do was get away . . . but he saw every person in his way as a threat, and dealt with them. It was all so fast. He gave no time for anyone to react. Do you know . . . did you know that when a little girl falls twenty feet onto her head, her head is crushed by the weight of her body?"

While Unibas, Krej, and Ryca looked horrified, Oroco almost felt annoyed when Lexa simply shrugged and noted that she did indeed know that. "Happens to adults as well."

Oroco shuddered again as he looked the other way. He understood why Zacyr would brutally attack his best friend. "If Zacyr really attacked Ryca like that, I think it's safe to say that his +Feral is much stronger than Baliwe's. If it's as bad as Dragon's was . . ."

Unibas gave a large sigh before he shook his head. "Look, I'm not trying to imply that he wouldn't be dangerous. But even in that form shouldn't Zacyr have at least been _affected _by the fact that Ryca was his _friend?_"

"Not if he can't recognize what he's attacking as anything other than a threat."

Everyone turned towards Ryca, who was rubbing his shoulder as he blushed. "I uh . . . the look he had on his face when he . . . I don't think he was capable of the complex thought needed to recognize a person. It was all instinct. H-he only attacked me because I was trying to pull him off of his mother, who in turn was blocking his exit. He was just a cornered animal."

Yeah, that sounded about right. After all, Oroco had realized after the event that Dragon had been doing something similar. But something wasn't adding up. "If that's true Ryca . . . how did you get away?"

"Get away? Oh! I headbutted him in the head, and he snapped out of his +Feral form."

What!? Oroco immediately looked at Ryca in shock. "Your best friend was mauling you and you _head-butted _him?"

"He had me pinned, what else was I going to hit his head with? I mean, it was the obvious target. If I scrambled his thoughts then that would disrupt the instinct and snap him out of it."

Oroco couldn't believe it. Ryca thought of all of that while being _mauled? _But as he pondered that, Oroco suddenly realized something horrifying. All it took was a hit to the head to stop a +Feral's instincts? He never once thought of that when Dragon was mauling him. It was all instinct. There wasn't enough time for Oroco to think. That was the biggest strength of a +Feral, after all. Instinct was faster than thought. But if that was all it took . . . if he had just thought of that, maybe that whole slaughter wouldn't have happened. Maybe he would have won the fight, and it wouldn't have devolved into that chaos.

"Unibas? Are you alright?"

Oroco looked up to find that Unibas had calmed down. Unibas gave a long sigh as he sat down on a nearby stool, looking rather dejected. Lexa soon repeated her question, to which Unibas looked up at them with another sigh. "I . . . I'm sorry about snapping like that. Lexa, I know what you've told me, but -"

"Relax and analyze the situation Unibas."

"I _am._ This is the fifteenth time I've let my temper get the best of me. A leader's not supposed to do that."

"I see. So you want to abandon all the +Anima that have put their trust in you and give your position to someone else?"

Unibas gave a sharp bark in reply. While Lexa looked surprised, Unibas glared at her. "_I never asked for them to trust me!_ I never asked for this position! I've been against this stupid civil war since the _start!_ I had no trouble with my master, and I can't even begin to tell you how awful I felt when he was murdered! Then they made _me _the leader of the +Anima!"

Unibas gave a low growl as he clasped his fingers together. Oroco had never seen him so agitated, and when Unibas spoke again his voice was so shaky that Oroco could barely understand it. "What did they see in me? I'm just a young man who has no real clue what a leader's supposed to do. All I do is sit within the mansion that is my sanctuary while the people under my command are _dying_. Why should I even _expect_ them to listen to me?"

Oroco couldn't help it. He smirked as Unibas turned his gaze downwards, clearly unwilling to look any of them in the eye. Was that what Unibas really thought of himself? Oroco guessed it made sense. After all, Unibas had really been a servant before this whole chaotic mess had happened. Oroco hadn't thought about that before. Well, he had just the answer. Oroco put a hand to his chest and gave a polite bow towards Unibas.

"What are your orders, sir?"

Unibas almost got Oroco to laugh when he looked up at Oroco with disbelief on his face. While Ryca and Krej looked just as startled, Lexa had obviously caught on from the way she smiled at Oroco. Unibas eventually snapped out of his shock and eyed Oroco cautiously. "I . . . I don't think you understand. I just -"

"Unibas, I have yet to follow through with one of your orders. My pride gets in the way, and as such I improvise the order. Each and every time I do so, I fail to complete the objective. I think I understand it now. I fail _because _I keep refusing to follow the order. So this time, I will swallow my pride and do whatever you ask. And because of that I will finally return with a smile on my face, and my report will say 'mission succeeded'."

Oroco finished by kneeling before Unibas and reinstating his original question. He had to keep his head facing downwards to keep Unibas from seeing the grin on Oroco's face. Eventually Unibas meekly told Oroco to rise. Once Oroco did so, Unibas gave a sigh.

"I will give you the basics of Zacyr. A year ago he became a +Feral. The event that caused it - and the subsequent chaos he caused while in his form - caused him to damage his +Anima form in a desperate attempt to stop his +Feral, and also resulted in him repressing the memory. While it worked temporarily, every time he's in a position that his +Feral would respond, it attempts to emerge. Every time that happens it gets closer and closer to succeeding. In fighting Thraw, we believe it's gotten so close to repairing itself that all he needs is one more trigger before his +Anima is fully repaired and he becomes a complete +Feral again."

As he spoke Unibas got to his feet, and began pacing around Oroco. His voice was getting more confident and more commanding. "Now I will inform you of the problem. Zacyr has re-entered the city under an alias, pretending to be a blind and mute boy named Sa. The fact that he had someone tell us about him coming back leads me to believe he's spying on the human side for us. But what he doesn't know is that Elerad, the leader of the human side, happens to be Zacyr's uncle. Zacyr's disguise won't hide him for long from a family member. Elerad also holds a personal grudge against Zacyr, which is something else that Zacyr doesn't know. If Elerad figures out that Sa is really Zacyr, I think it's safe to say that he'll end up triggering Zacyr's +Feral."

Here Unibas stopped pacing and crossed his arms as he eyed Oroco. "Your mission is to find Zacyr and tell him the problem. Make no mention whatsoever of Zacyr having a +Feral. Just tell him about the fact that Elerad, Zacyr's uncle, is the human side's leader, and that Elerad holds a personal grudge against Zacyr. Tell him to talk to me in Lexa's home as soon as he can."

"What should I do if he refuses?"

"He won't refuse. Zacyr is above all curious. He won't turn down an offer of information about his past. We're going to take advantage of that. When he asks why Elerad holds a personal grudge against him, tell him that I will explain it to him when we meet. His curiosity will ensure he will meet me. Once he meets there, Lexa and I will tell him about what happened that night."

"A-are you sure that's wise . . . sorry. So find Zacyr, tell him the danger he's in without informing him that he's a +Feral, tell him that you know why Elerad holds a grudge against Zacyr, and tell him to meet with you at Lexa's place?"

"Correct. Krej, I want you to go with Oroco. If Elerad notices that Zacyr is there while you two are talking to him, you are to carry Zacyr out of there and over to Lexa's. If he gives you any lip, remind him that you're saving his life on my orders."

While both Oroco and Krej agreed, Oroco was surprised when Ryca tugged on Unibas' clothing. "Uh, sir? I don't mean to intrude, but . . . they _did_ try to kill Zacyr. I-I think he's going to be a little sore about that. W-wouldn't it be better to send me? I-I mean, I am a good friend of his."

"No. Zacyr knows how you work, and you aren't good at sneaking around. If he asks you what happened that night, would you be able to stop yourself from telling him?"

Ryca blushed as he backed away, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Unibas gave him a gentle smile before turning back to face Oroco. "Let us suppose though that you find Zacyr in his +Feral form. In that case, analyze the situation. You, like Ryca, know what a true +Feral is capable of. As Ryca informed you, the way to snap him out of his Feral state is a hit to the head. I'm sending you because Ryca wouldn't hurt Zacyr unless it was for his own life. You on the other hand can hurt him without hesitation."

While Oroco agreed, Krej asked the question that was on Oroco's mind. "But if he loses control in the human side . . . well, they _are _our enemies. Shouldn't we just -"

Unibas immediately turned and glared at a startled Krej. "Just what? Just stand back and watch as Zacyr kills fathers in front of their children? Should we stand back and watch as he kills children in front of their fathers? These are people that know nothing about +Anima, nothing about what a +Feral is. They'll assume he's a normal +Anima and judge us by his actions. Should we let him fan the flames of hatred? Tell me Krej, what's more dangerous for a +Anima? Is it an outraged man who watched his brother die before him to a +Anima, or is it a man whose brother was rescued by a +Anima? Which one would have mercy? This war is never going to end unless we show them that we are not the vicious animals that they think we are!"

Oroco watched as Krej meekly backed away from Unibas, giving a hesitant 'okay' as she did so. Unibas then glanced at Oroco, who bowed towards Unibas again. "I understand. We'll leave immediately."

* * *

><p>You have NO idea how many times I've tried to reveal Zacyr's condition before this time. Heck, I think I tried revealing it around chapter 10, and almost every five chapters I've tried it again . . . and again and again and again. You probably can tell when most of those were, since I usually kept them in - but drastically reduced the amount of information learned about Zacyr's past. I can't say that I expected it to take 78 chapters before I finally got to say it, but then again I never thought the story itself would be so big.<p>

And as I said before, NO: I swear I had no idea about Senri's +Anima when I first made the idea of Zacyr. Though to be fair, when I first put the idea past my editor/younger sister, she noted that it sounded similar to Senri - and my response was 'great, that means it's canon!' XD

I know I showed Unibas in a different light than I usually do, and to be fair that's because he was one of a few characters I gave very little personality to. In this chapter I focused much more on him and how he'd react, and I decided to remind everyone that Unibas never had a choice in becoming the leader: he started as nothing more than a servant for a lord, kind of like how +Anima are treated in Sailand (In fact, I really should have put this city in Sailand: oh well, too late to change that.)

Oh and by the way, I sat down and read the first eight volumes of +Anima about a month ago, and am working on ways to include visits to places the main group visit later. It's a little annoying trying to figure out how much time passed during the earlier volumes, so if the amount of time that has passed between events doesn't seem to match up with my story's interpretation, I sincerely apologize: I swear that I'm trying to keep it accurate.

So anyways, thank you for your patience. This next chapter's giving me some problems, but I think I might actually be able to get it finished soon.

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable.  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Awesomeness? (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~  
>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)<br>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)  
>Ereth: Sloth (Female)<br>Depri: Lion (Female)  
>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)<br>Joey: Cute (Male)  
>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)<br>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Mina (Female)<br>Ameru (Male)  
>Nidec (Female)<br>Elerad (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<br>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1  
>Named: 1 (Jill)<p>

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<br>'Dragon': Dragonfly (Male)


	79. Zacyr's Mistake

I! HAVE! . . . the most annoying job right now. Anyways, no reason to whine about that. I'm sure I've said it a thousand times now.

Anyways, it's about time I get this chapter done.

Here's your present, October Autumn!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter<em>_ 76_: **Kesi, Ele, Kshtsi, and Tulig are fishing when Mina, Ameru, and Sa end up stumbling into their chosen fishing spot. After Kesi reveals to the other fishers that Mina is the one that nearly killed him during an earlier battle between the +Anima side and the human side, Tulig nearly kills Mina before Sa and Ameru manage to get Tulig off of Mina. The scuffle soon escalates into a battle, with Sa and Ameru fighting Kesi and Tulig. After the fight is stopped by the others, Ameru gets depressed that he lost - _again_ - and considers quitting his job as a guard. In response Sa reveals - in a very annoying way - that Ameru has a hidden talent in utilizing staffs as weapons. Once everyone's calmed down Mina, Ameru, and Sa leave the clearing while the fishing group prepares to pack up. But before Sa leaves, he waves goodbye - revealing a vicious scar on his hand.

**_Chapter 77:_** Ameru, Mina, and Sa return to the city to find an enraged Nidec (like usual) waiting for them. Nidec starts to insult and belittle Ameru, which earns her two punches to the face - one from Mina and one from Sa. When Sa realizes the rest of the human side of the city agrees with Nidec that Ameru should leave, his response is to make Ameru spar with Sa - revealing Ameru's talent to the crowd. Eventually Ameru, Mina, and Sa are allowed the day off, which Ameru and Sa immediately put to use to spar in a secluded sot behind Mina's room. Unnoticed by them is that Lexa and one of Elerad's ghosts are watching them. During their own conversation Lexa and the ghost reveal that Sa is in fact Zacyr in disguise, and that Zacyr has alerted the +Anima side to the fact that he has returned. Soon both Lexa and the ghost go to report to their separate leaders - with the ghost noting that she won't rat Zacyr out.

**_Chapter 78:_**Oroco is pondering why on earth he saw Zacyr's +Anima mark flickering (In chapter 71, after the failed attempt to kill Zacyr) when Krej informs Oroco that Unibas wants to talk to Oroco. Unibas is found to be highly agitated at his realization that Zacyr has returned, and is very clearly frustrated at the unexpected turn of events. When Ryca reveals that he knew Zacyr would come back to save his friends, Unibas challenges that fact - and reveals that Zacyr once attempted to kill Ryca. The cause for this is revealed moments later: Zacyr's a +Feral whose Anima's on a whole different level than Baliwe's. Oroco - the only person present who has seen a _true _+Feral before - has a flashback to his fight with Dragon, a +Feral that escaped the +Anima fight ring via a bloody dash for the exit. When Unibas calms down and is shown to be depressed by his own reaction, Oroco helps him cheer up by promising to follow any orders that Unibas gives him with no more improvising. Unibas' order: find Zacyr, and convince him to meet up with Unibas, who will explain the situation to Zacyr.

* * *

><p><em>What the hell is going on?<em>

Nidec frowned as she rested her head on the counter. Business was slow today, which she didn't mind too much. It gave her time to think about what had been bugging her since yesterday. First Mina had begun hanging around _Ameru_ of all people, and now Mina wasn't hanging out with Nidec at all. Nidec rubbed her left cheek with her hand, still trying to figure out why Mina had hit her.

How had Ameru done it? Why was everyone acting like Ameru was someone they should sympathize with? What trick had he used? Nidec gnashed her teeth as she clenched her hand into a fist.

Unfortunately for her, gnashing her teeth caused her to strain her right cheek, which groaned in protest. Nidec grunted as she began gently massaging that cheek too. While she was still very pissed at Ameru for figuring out how to get everyone to pity him, that was nothing compared to how Sa was acting around her.

It wasn't like he was still angry at her. It was more like he didn't know her. But that didn't make any sense. How could he have forgotten who she was? Sure he couldn't see her anymore, but that didn't mean he couldn't recognize her voice, or even her _name. _It just . . . it hurt so badly to see him treat her like a stranger. She just didn't know how to respond. Something was just . . . it didn't make any sense!

Nidec looked up when she heard the door open to find one of the citizens entering the store. Nidec immediately pulled herself up before forcing herself to smile at the person, who cheerily greeted her. "I'll have the usual."

Nidec immediately went to the shelves behind her, searching until she found a vial of blue liquid. After she checked her hand-written label for the concoction to ensure it was this customer's usual buy, she brought it down to the counter. "That'll be fifty gillah."

"Yeah, I got it. Say, have you noticed the nut that Ameru's started hanging around with?"

"Sa?"

The man immediately agreed, apparently not noticing how Nidec tensed up at the fact that this man called Sa a nut. She had to keep calm, she had to keep calm. This guy soon proved his own stupidity by noting that Sa probably couldn't see through the blindfold he was wearing, to which Nidec forced herself to smile. "He's _blind_, you idiot. He uses the blindfold to hide -"

"Oh, is that why his eyes were all clouded over?"

Nidec was halfway through stating that it probably was the reason when she suddenly realized what the man had said. "What do you mean? Sa doesn't . . ."

"Doesn't what? Oh - take off the blindfold, you must mean! Well that was apparently an accident. It slipped off when he left Elerad's mansion, and I just caught sight of his cloudy eyes as he was tying it back on. Anyways, thanks for the potion!"

Nidec automatically responded with a 'you're welcome', but when the man walked out of the room Nidec brought her hand to her head. What the man had said didn't make any sense. The reason Sa was blind was because he had gouged his own eyes out. He didn't _have _eyes anymore! Nidec had seen that herself when she had tried to give him her bandanna!

She quickly put up the 'closed' sign before she raced into her room, her thoughts racing as she unwrapped her bandanna from her father's sword. Just seeing the sword brought back so many painful memories . . . why, _why _had her father dueled Sa's father to the death!? And even though Sa's father had won, even though he had taken Nidec's father from her mother, for her mother to do what she did . . . why did she have to target _Sa!?_

Nidec shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes using the bandanna. She had to focus. Something was very wrong. Sa . . . Nidec had seen the effect her mother's actions had had on Sa. She had heard him screaming throughout the entire night. In fact he did so much damage to his vocal chords that he'd never speak another word again. He had seen terrible things that night, so terrible in fact that he had gouged out his own eyes using his own fingers. If Sa's father hadn't been nearby to give him medical aid, apparently Sa could have bled to death.

So how in the world could he have his eyes again? Nidec absentmindedly put on the bandanna as she pondered the question. It just didn't make any sense. As she tried to figure it out, Nidec caught herself humming one of the songs that Sa had made up. It was a bit for her own comfort, and a bit because Nidec just liked the song. Sa had such a lovely singing voice before Nidec's mother had done . . . _that _to Sa. Hadn't that been his wish, to become a bard? It obviously wasn't going to happen anymore, since he had become a mute, but . . .

Nidec smiled as she thought about days she so desperately wanted back. She couldn't help it. She still remembered what a prankster Sa had been, how carefree he was. The whole village had gotten irritated at him, but Nidec had gotten him back quite a few times. The one time that she had regretted was that time she had spiked his drink with Rablintem, the blinding potion. He had completely freaked out until she had explained it was temporary. Wasn't that when he started that little tongue-clicking trick he -

It suddenly hit her. How could Sa have eyes again, how could they be clouded over? Rablintem! While it couldn't restore a person's eyes (so far as she knew at least) it explained how those eyes were clouded over. And now that she thought about it . . . oh god. He didn't know her, he had eyes, he was using Rablintem . . . and now that she thought about it Sa's face was a little different shape than it was before as well. The reason was simple. It wasn't Sa.

Nidec's mind immediately and frantically went into overtime. Who was this person then, this person that knew Sa? Did they know Nidec!? She had to do something! If they figured out whose child Nidec was . . . Nidec had worked so hard to ensure no one could tell that Nidec was related to that _bitch! _She had to expose him, but she would need proof that he was a fake. If she didn't have it, Elerad wouldn't believe her.

Nidec quickly raced over to her little closet, picking out her dark brown cowl. She always used it whenever she was about to do something she didn't want to do, and . . . well, sneaking into someone's room and searching through their stuff was a little outside her normal comfort zone. After a bit of thought about what she would do if the imposter spotted her, Nidec also attached the scabbard of the sword to her right side, silently thanking whatever higher being there was for making her left handed.

She didn't need to ask which room Sa had been given. Nidec knew because she had seen Sa in his room before he had gone with Ameru to do something. It didn't take her long to get over there either, and almost the instant she entered the room her heart dropped down to her stomach. Whoever the fake was, subtlety was obviously not their strong point. The half-empty vial of rablintem was right next to their bed. While Nidec had been sure this Sa was a fake . . . she still felt disturbed that he had managed to trick her for even a few hours.

Nidec searched through the room a bit, finding the fake Sa's pack next to the door. In it she found the weirdest collection of objects, including a white mouse that slipped out of the pack when Nidec opened it, which freaked her out quite a bit. Once her heart was beating again she searched through the rest of the objects. There was an aged book, a large spool of some weird white string, and a whole crap-load of white rope that immediately reminded Nidec of the rope Elerad used. She didn't bother grabbing the book, but she did grab some of the string and hid it under her cowl.

Once she had her evidence - essentially the Rablintem - Nidec immediately marched to Elerad and told him about the Rablintem, and how Sa was faking his inability to see. Elerad's response was startled silence before he sent his ghosts to capture the fake, and complimented Nidec on her keen observation skills.

Well, at least that's how it _should _have gone by her standards. In reality, Elerad sighed before he rolled his eyes and grinned at Nidec. Nidec knew the look, and it got her even more fired up that Elerad didn't believe her. "It's the truth! Rablintem causes a person's eyes to cloud over! I found this in Sa's room, he's faking being blind!"

"And because of this, you think Sa is a spy for the +Anima side?"

"_He's not Sa! _I don't know who he is, but he's faking being Sa for -"

"So let me get this straight. You are claiming that he's faking being someone I've never met in order to sneak into our side of the city?"

"Yes!"

To her annoyance Elerad sighed before he rubbed his head. "Do you know if Rablintem has any medical purposes besides blinding oneself?"

"It's only temporary! His eyes have probably cleared up by now!"

"That wasn't the question."

". . . it can function as a sort of cough syrup, but -"

"So what's to say that's not his intended purpose?"

"There are _hundreds _of other kinds of medicine that can ease coughing! _And _they don't cause temporary blinding!"

Nidec was surprised, yet relieved, when one of Elerad's ghosts cleared his throat. "Well to be fair Elerad, Nidec has a valid point. It does seem a bit farfetched to think he'd prefer being blind over having a cough. And if he really is intentionally faking being blind, that is cause for concern."

"Sorry, sorry. I just find it hard to believe a +Anima spy would be the one to cheer Ameru up. Fine, I'll talk to Sa about it tonight when he goes back to his room, and I'll decide what to do from there. So call me curious Nidec, but what the heck clued you into the fact that he was faking being blind? And why do you keep saying he's not Sa?"

Nidec paled as her heart caught in her throat. If she told the truth - that her own mother was responsible for Sa losing his eyes and his voice - then he'd probably judge her on her mother's actions just like her home village had. She tried to stammer out an excuse as she fidgeted. "Well . . . I traveled a bit before I came here, a-and I saw Sa once. B-but I know for sure that his eyes were gouged out. Someone mentioned that they had seen this 'Sa' had cloudy eyes, so I knew right then that something was wrong."

While Elerad seemed surprised, he soon gave his lazy smile as he asked Nidec to leave. Nidec, who was very irritated that Elerad wasn't taking this seriously, wheeled herself around and marched for the door, turning around so quickly that her cowl billowed behind her for a little bit. But before she made it even halfway to the door she was startled when Elerad abruptly commanded her to halt, which she did.

When she turned around she was surprised at what she found looking at her. Elerad looked like a completely different person. The goofiness was gone, replaced by a steel gaze and an angered frown. "Where did you get that string?"

Hmm? Nidec cocked her head before she remembered the string she had gotten from Sa's pack and pulled it out. Elerad must have seen it when she had turned around. But why was he so interested in it? "This? I found this in the imposter's pack. Now that I think about it, he also had some rope that looks a lot like yours does."

She was alarmed when Elerad's eyes narrowed dangerously, and even the ghosts seemed surprised as Elerad got out of his seat and marched over to Nidec. "This string . . . it's the same substance my family makes our rope out of. My sister and I didn't really care much for the string itself, but her son found several hundred uses for it. Now that I think about it, he'd be around the imposter's age . . . this could be really bad. If it's _him_, then I need to get him as far away from Ameru as possible. There's no telling what that sadistic little fucker will do."

Well, this was the first time Nidec had ever heard Elerad use such colorful language when it came to describing someone. "I . . . beg your pardon?"

Elerad didn't seem to hear her. His hands were clenched into fists as he gnashed his teeth, and he glared at the string as if the string itself was his enemy. "_Acyr . . . _what mind game are you playing now?"

"Acyr? That person that killed Ace?"

"Ace's death isn't the worst thing that Acyr has done. My nephew is the boy who murdered his father, mauled his best friend, and drove his mother - my _sister - _to tears all over the course of ten minutes. I plan to teach him what happens to those that hurt my sister."

"_Elerad!_"

Nidec flinched as one of Elerad's ghosts - this one a woman - marched up to him with her hands on her hips. She looked as angry as Elerad sounded. "You heard what Eneu said! Something was wrong with Acyr, he didn't mean to hurt her! She said the problem was with his +Anima, not him!"

"A +Anima mark can't force a person to do something against their will! _He ATTACKED her! _He tried to kill her and he damn near succeeded! I've never seen her so upset before!"

"Of course she was upset! _She was in SHOCK! _That's perfectly natural for someone who just found themselves fighting for their life against their own beloved son! But what you keep failing to remember is how she said _Acyr _responded when they finally snapped him out of it! He freaked out so badly it actually _damaged _his +Anima! Quit trying to pin the blame on the poor kid!"

Elerad sighed as he brought a hand to his head, and to Nidec's surprise he started taking deep breaths. After a little bit he walked for the doors, upon which time the woman asked what he was doing. Elerad glanced back before telling his ghosts to follow him. While most of the ghosts did, Nidec was surprised when the woman that had challenged him did not. "Well?"

"I'll see what he's like and respond accordingly."

"So in other words, you're going to provoke him."

"Sweetie, don't be like that."

What? 'Sweetie'? Nidec looked at the woman quizzically, and was surprised when the ghost simply brought her hands to her hips. "You're acting on impulse again Elerad."

"Oh come now, have a little faith in me. If there's one thing I know for certain about Acyr, it's that he's clever. If he gets back to his room and sees his things have been searched through, he's going to realize we've found out. We have to act now, before he realizes we've caught on."

"Don't do it in public though! The only thing that the human side knows of Acyr is that he killed Ace when Ace tried to kill some +Anima. That's betrayal in their eyes! If you expose him in public, someone's going to react! We need to wait until he's alone before we confront him about it!"

"No."

"What about Ameru!? Do you realize Acyr killed _Ace? _Do you remember that _Ace _was Ameru's only friend!? I can't even begin to imagine the stress that that knowledge would put on his mind!"

"Oh for - fine! Stay here if you want to!"

Without another word Elerad marched out the door, grumbling as he did so. While the rest of the ghosts followed him, Nidec was surprised when the woman ghost that Elerad had called his 'sweetie' simply shook her head. "I _hate _it when he does that."

"What's going on?"

Nidec could only cock her head in confusion. She knew nothing of Acyr, and she hadn't really been all that sad to hear Ace was dead. The ghost glanced at her before shaking her head again. "Elerad believes that people should be punished for crimes that they commit."

"Well what's wrong with that?"

"His nephew wasn't in his right mind when he committed the act that Elerad blames him for. Elerad doesn't realize what he's up against. He thinks he's up against a manipulative boy that does horrible things just to get attention."

"Like Ameru?"

Nidec flinched when the ghost gave her an annoyed glance. "Is Ameru all you ever think about? Either you are _madly _in love with him -"

"_What the fuck - I HATE him!_"

"- OR you are insanely jealous of him."

Nidec felt her face flush with color as she vehemently denied that claim. While the ghost smirked at Nidec the ghost soon exited the mansion, with Nidec following behind her. "I'm not jealous of him! Why would I be jealous of a perverted little brat that is completely starved for attention!? I-I just want to keep Mina away from him! She doesn't know what a guy like Ameru is after! He'll take her heart and break it before running away!"

Nidec continued talking as the ghost searched the streets for where Elerad had gone. It was almost five minutes before the ghost and Nidec found Elerad, who was walking towards Ameru, Mina, and the disguised Acyr. While the ghost - and by extension Nidec - quickly walked up to Elerad he gave them no heed as he called for 'Sa' to stop walking.

The fake did so almost immediately, turning his head towards Elerad. Now that Mina knew what to look for, it was obvious to her that this was a fake. His face was a different shape from Sa's. The way he carried himself was different as well. His hair, while blonde, seemed to be more white than blonde. Apparently the blonde dye he seemed to have used was wearing off, perhaps because his white hair couldn't hold the color for long. She watched as Elerad folded his arms and leaned against a nearby wall. Nidec did a quick check around them, and she noticed that there were several people walking this street.

The ghost that Elerad had called his sweetie had a frustrated look on her face as she whispered to herself. "Don't do it here, you moron! There are too many people around and we don't know how they'll react! Tell him you have to say something in private and have him follow you -"

"So how have you been, Acyr?"

Out of the corner of her eye Nidec saw 'Sweetie' bring her palm to her face and mutter 'you fucking _dumbass._' Both Ameru and Mina looked confused, and Ameru even attempted to correct Elerad before the fake gently motioned for Ameru to be quiet. But it was Acyr's response that really caught Nidec off-guard. The fake simply sighed before he shook his head. "Overall, I'm doing pretty good. I kinda like covering my eyes like this. I can't hallucinate if I can't see."

While Nidec saw well over half of the people within the crowded street gradually turn their attention to the confrontation, and she heard Mina shout 'what the - you can TALK!?' Nidec herself could only cock her head in confusion. Acyr wasn't even going to _try _pretending that he was Sa anymore? As she wondered about it Acyr casually removed his blindfold, revealing to Nidec that the Rablintem must have worn off as Acyr's bright red eyes were crystal clear when he opened them.

Elerad clearly hadn't expected Acyr to do this, and Elerad actually looked a bit baffled as he asked what Acyr was up to. Acyr had a slight grin on his face as he shrugged. "Well, I just got done sparring with Ameru. We were going to get something to eat before you came over and alerted me my cover was blown. Hey, is this going to take a lot of time? If so, could it wait until after we get something to eat?"

The ghost next to Nidec caught her by surprise when she literally snorted, which soon degraded into a giggling fit before she smiled at Elerad. While she spoke, it seemed like she was talking more to herself since only Nidec was close enough to hear it. "Looks like he's gotten quite a bit bolder than he was when I first met him. He's definitely Qeneu's son: that's the same smartass reply I'd expect from her."

While Nidec was going to ask the ghost about what she meant, Elerad caught Nidec's attention when he finally shook off his shock. "You're rather calm for a spy that just got found out."

The boy named Acyr gave a smirk as he brought his hands to his hips. "After all the crap I went through with Lexa, do you really think someone like you can scare me? At least I'm sure you aren't going to try and eat me. Anyways, what gave me away? I thought I was doing pretty good."

To Nidec's surprise Elerad gave a small smile as he motioned back towards Nidec, who only now realized she was still holding on to the string that she had taken from Acyr's room. When Acyr looked back at her he flinched and gave her an annoyed look. "_Hey! _If you want the string you have to pay me! That's a gillah for every two feet of string!"

"_What!? _That price is absurd! It's a stupid length of string! I wouldn't even pay a pillah for it!"

"Hey-hey! I can guarantee that's good quality string right there! Fifty pillah is as low as I'd possibly go! Since that's four feet of string right there, that makes it a gillah. Either hand it back or pay up, thief!"

"_I'm not a customer! _I found this in _your _room, and when I showed it to Elerad he recognized it immediately as yours!"

"What were you doing in my room? I don't even know who you are!"

An irate Nidec turned her head so the boy could see the bruise he had left when he had decked her earlier. She was surprised when Acyr flinched before cocking his head. "Oh, _Nidec_. Huh. I had no idea you only had one arm. That explains why you wanted me to shake your left hand. Now I feel like an ass."

Nidec sighed in both annoyance and relief at Acyr's response. So he didn't know her. Even if he knew Sa, he didn't know Nidec. Nidec was going to let the conversation drop there, as it looked like Elerad was preparing to talk to Acyr again. But she was surprised when it was actually someone from the crowd that had formed around the confrontation that spoke.

"Acyr . . . you're the brat that murdered Ace."

When Nidec focused on the crowd, she was surprised to see the looks of hatred and disgust everyone was giving Acyr. Acyr himself was now looking at the crowd, and Nidec was getting the feeling that the attention Acyr was receiving was pissing him off. He held his head high as he looked back at everyone, putting his hands on his hips and shifting his weight to his right leg. "Alright, now it's just getting fucking annoying. I swear no matter where I am everyone seems to hate me."

One of the people marched forwards, glaring daggers at Acyr. The two of them stared each other down, and eventually the man glaring at Acyr spat out his reply. "No wonder. You have nerve coming here after betraying the human side, _boy_. We don't forgive backstabbing traitors."

The air around Acyr seemed to shift as his eyes narrowed. The edge of his mouth curled up into a sneer. Nidec noticed that Elerad was watching Acyr carefully, and the ghost that was standing next to Nidec had a look of concern on her face as the man continued speaking. "You made your choice when you killed a fellow human. Elerad, give me the order to kill him! I think I speak for all of us when I say we want him dead!"

Elerad looked surprised at the man's words, but as the crowd murmured amongst itself Nidec found that the man had been right - most everyone in the crowd shared the man's beliefs. While Elerad shook his head no, and opened his mouth - apparently to try and calm down a crowd that wouldn't take no for an answer - even Nidec was surprised when Acyr spoke, his voice filled with malice.

"Traitor? Betrayal? Yes, that's what I'd expect people as simple as you to say. Arrogant bastards such as you couldn't possibly understand what I've been through in the past few days. You couldn't possibly know how hard it's become to keep my grip on reality. Do you know what it's like to sit on a bed and wonder why everyone hates you? Could you comprehend what it means to fiddle around with a knife in your hands, wondering if it would be better for everyone if you brought it to your own throat? No, that's impossible in your eyes. Why would a person even think about doing such a thing? I guess it's just one of those things that you have to experience before you can understand, the hellish thought that your only chance of redemption is to willingly die at your own hands."

Around here Nidec was surprised to see that all the blood had drained from Ameru's face, and that Ameru was now looking at the ground and refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Acyr now was walking towards the man, obviously fired up. "I have heard several people tell me recently how much they hate me, how much they want me to die. To be fair, most of them were +Anima, but from the looks of things here it seems that you are no different. You're all just a bunch of self-serving bastards that want to kill everyone different than you."

"How pathetic. There's nothing quite as boring as a traitor's attempt to make themselves out to be the real victim. Quit lying to yourself, you're no victim. You're a deluded, insane _freak_ with no grip on reality!"

_What's going on?_

Nidec saw Acyr's eyes open wide at the man's words. Then they narrowed into a look of pure malice, and Nidec was surprised when Acyr's pupils started expanding. At the same time Acyr gave a low growl that would have sounded more appropriate if it had come from a man eating beast. "A _freak_, am I!? You don't even consider me _human? _Who's the one that refuses to consider the other side!? No, it doesn't matter. Words aren't going to get through your thick skull."

Nidec flinched when an extra pair of entirely black eyes appeared on Acyr's forehead, and the startled man that had been shouting at Acyr immediately began backing up as Acyr began walking towards him. "Well!? Come on! If you're so eager to kill me, then come at me with everything you have! Kill or be killed, _**RIGHT!? **_That's all you can think about! Maybe you'll recognize me as a human after I _bash your face against the ground! _Maybe you'll regret refusing to listen when I'm _ripping out your throat! _Do you know what you are!? You are not human, and you sure as hell aren't a threat to me! If I'm really the monster you think I am, then"

Acyr suddenly gave a low groan as he held his sides, shuddering violently as his canines started extending beyond his mouth and became fangs. At the same time Acyr dropped to the ground, picking himself up on all fours as he began snarling and growling at the man. "You**. Are!**_** My! PREY!**_"

Acyr pounced. Nidec could only stare in shock and horror as the boy collided with the man, using his momentum to knock the man off of his feet. Acyr sunk his teeth into the startled man's throat, violently ripping the man's throat out before the man even hit the ground.

By the time the man's body hit the ground Acyr was already turning around, all four of his eyes locked on to Elerad. There was a terrible look in his eyes, of a rage that no one there could hope to subdue. Then he took a deep breath, while at the same time his shirt stretched to absurd proportions. Then his shirt tore, revealing four _colossal _spider legs expanding from his back.

Nidec wasn't sure what to call the horrendous sound that poured from Acyr's mouth. It was something between a roar and a scream of fury. The sound sent chills down her spine, and as she shuddered Acyr charged at Elerad with the obvious intent to kill.

To say that Nidec had no idea what was going on would have been an understatement. She had thought it was a tantrum up until Acyr had ripped out the man's throat. But then it suddenly turned for the worst. While Elerad was able to knock Acyr back when Acyr pounced at him, he accidentally flung the irate boy directly into a startled Mina.

Acyr immediately turned to look at Mina, obviously seeing her as an enemy. His response was to unfurl the legs on the left side of his body while he turned around. With an almost casual grunt Acyr _flung _Mina away from him. Nidec paled as Mina soared several feet over everyone's head, with Mina screaming as she realized how the fall was going to end. Nidec immediately turned her head when Mina fell out of sight behind some nearby buildings. She wouldn't survive that fall.

_Mina . . ._

Nidec glanced at Acyr to find he had turned his attention to a terrified Ameru, who was just _barely _holding Acyr off with his staff. Ameru wasn't getting a single hit in. Every time he tried Acyr was responding with an inhuman response time. But at the same time Acyr wasn't getting near Ameru, as Ameru was attacking _and_ defendinghimself at the same time.

_He killed her._

Nidec glared at Acyr as she brought her hand to the sheathe of the sword she had brought along.

"_**You're fucking DEAD!**_"

With that Nidec charged at the abomination, which immediately turned its head to face her. The instant Acyr recognized Nidec as a threat he seemed to forget about Ameru, leaving Ameru in the dust as he charged at Nidec. As the two of them closed the distance, Nidec went over what she knew about her opponent in her head.

For some reason, he was acting like an animal. That reaction time of his . . . no doubt it was all instinct. Thought wasn't fast enough to make the split-second decisions that he was making about who to target or to allow him to avoid Ameru's attacks with the speed that he had been doing so. So he would probably be able to dodge any attack she made, and would attempt to counter attack the instant after she made her attack.

_So the best way to deal with him-_

It was almost time for her to attack. She kept her sword sheathed as she approached him, waiting for the _moment _he'd be in range to draw her sword. Once that moment came she brought her hand to her sword and in one fluid motion she unsheathed her sword and swung it towards Acyr's head.

He ducked underneath her blade. It wasn't even close. Elerad screamed 'NO!' as Acyr moved in for the kill, as Nidec's swing caused her to expose her vulnerable back to Acyr. Nidec however did not let her fear grab hold of her as she slammed her palm against the ground, using her arm to help keep her balance as she continued to turn her body. She knew what she was doing.

_-Is to not let him realize the attack is coming!_

Nidec's foot connected perfectly with the startled being's face. She smirked as Acyr gave a grunt of pain while he passed by her, soon tumbling to a stop. Just as she had hoped he would do, he had gone for her back when he thought she was vulnerable, and didn't notice her foot swinging towards his head until it had connected.

There was an eerie silence as Nidec got back on her feet, breathing heavily. She heard quite a few of the onlookers give exclamations of shock as they gawked at her. But Nidec only had eyes for the brat that had murdered Mina. The spider traits were gone, and the boy was rubbing the side of his head and looking around like he was confused. The remains of his shirt fell off of the boy to reveal a _gigantic _black tattoo on his back. "What . . . what just . . ."

Nidec snapped. He had just murdered _Mina_, and he didn't even _remember _it!? She gave a war cry as she charged at him, sword drawn and ready to slice his head clean off. "_This is for Mina!_"

She swung the instant she was in range. Just a moment before she swung Acyr turned his head to look at her, and she saw the fear in his eyes as she unsheathed her sword. What she did not see was the black tattoo on Acyr's back turn blood red upon Acyr realizing he was in danger.

He simply leaned forwards to avoid the swing. Nidec couldn't believe it as Acyr then turned around and pounced on her before she even realized he had regained the spider traits. When Acyr went for Nidec's neck, clearly intending to rip out Nidec's throat, Nidec did the only thing she could think to do. She showed her teeth to Acyr and went for _his _neck.

To her surprise the clearly startled Acyr immediately backed his neck out of range. While it had been for all purposes a bluff she couldn't believe that it had worked. Then Acyr's fangs re-grew, and Nidec paled as she saw liquid drip from both fangs. Oh fuck, _oh fuck! _He had poison! If he bit her then she was as good as dead! Those fangs extended, and Nidec gulped as she realized Acyr wasn't about to aim for Nidec's neck. She closed her left eye as another drop of venom fell, landing with a tiny splat on her eyelid.

Acyr then whipped his head down. Time seemed to slow down for Nidec as those fangs got closer and closer to her eyes. She didn't hear the gasps from the crowd, though she did see the large talons that extended from above her field of vision and latched onto Acyr's shoulders. Acyr was pulled back in _barely _enough time to save Nidec's eyes - and likely her life. Nidec felt the fangs leave scratches on either side of her nose as he was catapulted off of Nidec.

Nidec stayed there for a second as her mind tried to reconnect. She was . . . she was still alive? Then Nidec heard a commotion in front of her and looked forwards to see an irate Acyr attempting to grab at the bird +Anima that had dragged Acyr off of Nidec. The bird +Anima had their back to Nidec, but it looked like they were trying to drop Acyr - which Acyr, who now was grabbing on to the bird +Anima's feet, was making difficult.

Nidec soon got to her feet, breathing heavily as she brought her hand to her face. She couldn't believe how close she had gotten to losing her eyes. But eventually she shook off her shock, realizing that Acyr was just kicked back down to earth, and the bird +Anima - no longer weighed down by Acyr - did a half-somersault as they lost control of their flight. Nidec almost snickered when the bird +Anima slammed into the ground, but then she got a good look at the bird +Anima's features.

"_**MINA!?**_"

The +Anima named Mina got to her feet, breathing heavily as she looked at Nidec. Nidec couldn't believe it. All of this time, Mina had been a +Anima!? How could that be!? She was still thinking about it when both her and Mina became aware that Acyr was charging in a completely different direction, apparently having decided the two of them weren't worth the trouble.

The problem was that he was now charging towards the large crowd that was watching the event. Many of the people in the crowd immediately turned and fled, which Nidec couldn't blame them for. But one person didn't. That person stood there, clearly petrified in fear as Acyr approached him, Acyr clearly intending to rip them to pieces. Nidec heard a woman scream for 'Asa' to run, but the petrified person was clearly too scared to move.

Granted, that was justified. This person was only a young child. They might have been - at most - six years old. The young boy wasn't going to move from his spot, and while both Nidec and Mina moved to do something Nidec knew they were way too far away to do something. Elerad attempted to lasso Acyr, but - as Nidec knew would happen - Acyr noticed the lasso headed his way long before it reached him and easily dodged it before bearing down on the boy.

Nidec didn't see the +Anima that leapt from the top of the nearby building, but everyone noticed them immediately when they landed directly next to the enraged Acyr, only a few feet away from Acyr's intended victim. Nidec had never met this +Anima before, but even she knew the name of the only bird +Anima in the city that had no wings.

Oroco didn't miss a beat. The instant he landed his fist was already homing in on the side of Acyr's face. Acyr noticed Oroco at the last second, but even he couldn't move fast enough to avoid being sucker-punched by the emu +Anima. Nidec watched in surprise as Acyr went into a tumble, rolling to a stop inches away from the boy he had nearly killed.

An eerie silence filled the street as everyone realized it was over. Acyr's limp body was lying on the ground motionless, his spider traits vanishing until nothing remained but a boy without a shirt. It looked like Oroco had just knocked him out. Oroco was breathing heavily, but he soon looked back at the child he had just saved. "You okay?"

The child meekly nodded, looking at Oroco with wide open eyes as he breathed heavily. Oroco gave a sigh of relief as he wiped sweat off of his forehead. "That was way too close . . ."

Nidec flinched when Ameru spoke up, meekly asking what just happened. Oroco glanced at Ameru before nodding back towards Acyr. "My guess is that someone really pissed him off, and he got so mad his +Anima forced itself to manifest. Unlike most +Anima, Acyr here can't control his Anima. It responds whenever it thinks he's in danger, and takes control. Unfortunately, that means he either flees or else he kills any potential threat."

To Nidec's surprise Elerad approached Acyr, his face completely unreadable. He eventually sighed before he picked up Acyr and told one of his ghosts to bring Acyr to the dungeon. While the ghost seemed startled - and Oroco himself noted that Acyr had not intended to lose control - Elerad shook his head. "I know. He didn't even know he had a +Anima. But now he likely does. I don't know how he's going to react upon waking up. It's better to put him behind bars that he can't break, in case he loses control again."

Nidec could only cock her head in confusion. Why did Elerad care? Wasn't this the same nephew that had tried to murder his own mother? She didn't understand. But once Acyr was carried out of sight Ameru suddenly spoke to Mina. "But . . . you're a +Anima?"

Mina flinched before giving Ameru a weird look. "Pardon? No I'm not a +Anima. What makes you say . . ."

As Mina was speaking one of her arms brushed a wing that had sprouted from Mina's back, and a startled Mina immediately began examining the wing in shock. Nidec immediately got the impression that Mina hadn't even noticed she had grown the wings. So she hadn't known that she was a +Anima?

The female ghost that Mina had been talking to before suddenly spoke up rather matter-of-factly. "Some children become +Anima when they are in a dire situation. I guess being catapulted fifty feet into the air and starting to fall down towards the ground counts as 'dire'."

While Mina meekly agreed, Nidec immediately went into thought. So Acyr was responsible for turning Mina into a +Anima? Nidec couldn't help the snarl that appeared on her face. She barely noticed that a parrot +Anima had landed next to Mina, though she certainly noticed when that one said that Mina had to go to the +Anima side.

Mina seemed surprised, but she immediately looked at Ameru with pity. Nidec didn't really see why. The only perk to the idea of Mina leaving the human side was that Ameru couldn't hang around Mina anymore. But she was still one of the several people surprised when Ameru smiled at a startled Mina. "I uh . . . I'll miss you. Sorry about . . . uh . . . all the uh . . . hitting on you that I . . ."

"It's okay. But . . . I-I just, I feel so bad for you. I-I never would have allowed Sa to be part of our hunting squad if I had known that he was a spy."

Ameru's reply came with a gentle smile on his face. "Then I'm glad you didn't know. I-I will never forget the two of you. Thank you for everything."

". . . yeah, you too."

With that Nidec and the parrot +Anima flew away. Nidec couldn't believe it. Mina hadn't even said goodbye to her. It broke her heart to see her friend leave like that.

Nidec really wasn't paying attention when Oroco sighed and shook his head, nor when Elerad asked what Oroco was upset about. Oroco glanced at Elerad before he sighed again. "Unibas ordered me to get Acyr out of here before you found out about him being here and set him off, and I promised Unibas I'd return and say 'mission succeeded'. But it looks like I've failed pretty badly in that regard."

"Well to be fair I doubt he expected you to succeed in the first place."

". . . thanks."

With that an obviously annoyed Oroco turned to leave, but Nidec was surprised when a woman asked him to wait. Oroco turned inquisitively, during which time the woman blushed and rubbed her arm. "I uh . . . th-thank you for . . . for saving my son."

The effect that had on Oroco was impressive. He actually blushed as he scratched the back of his head. "U-uh, you're welcome."

It was about at this point that Nidec just lost interest in the conversation. She was still in shock over what had happened, and she was still very hurt that Mina hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to her. Perhaps the worst part was that while she wanted to blame Ameru, she knew that she couldn't. It just wasn't his fault.

But the same couldn't be said for that 'Acyr' person. That person had been the one to put Mina in the position that she became a +Anima. That person was the one who had impersonated Sa, the one who had slapped Nidec - _twice_ - to stand up for _Ameru_. Before that, Nidec believed that Mina had still been Nidec's friend, and it wasn't until Mina had slapped Nidec that Nidec had realized Mina no longer liked her at all.

She stopped thinking rationally. Nidec was now completely outraged, completely frustrated at her lot in life. She needed someone to direct all that rage and all that frustration at, and this time it wasn't Ameru that was her target. It was Acyr.

* * *

><p>So, a lot to say about this chapter.<p>

I felt it was about time for people to learn why Nidec is acting like she was: a piece of the past that she had tried so hard to sever herself from was supposedly right in front of her. This is why she has been acting more and more unstable, as well as the severing of her friendship with Mina, who she had been forming a very nice friendship with before Mina had become friends with Ameru. As for her irrational hatred of Ameru, Nidec is indeed jealous of him. I felt that makes perfect sense: Nidec, a young girl that has been trying so hard to sever all of her connections with her past, would naturally hate a boy like Ameru, who barely _has _a past to begin with.

As for Zacyr, come on: who really thought his +Feral wouldn't be triggered? I doubt that came as a surprise to anyone. I wanted to show exactly why a +Feral is dangerous. Which, since Nidec fought it and won (for a little bit at least) also serves to show that Nidec's got some some talent with fighting herself.

Anyways, looks like Nidec isn't too appreciative of Zacyr. I can't possibly see why: he only pretended to be her childhood crush, hit her twice while holding the facade, took Mina's side when Nidec and Mina stopped being friends, and then when he _was _found out he only attempted to kill Nidec _and _Mina (and nearly succeeded with both of them), which resulted in Mina becoming a +Anima and now being put on the other side of the city. All unintentionally of course (well, besides for hitting Nidec and taking Mina's side: that was intentionally done).

Alright, one last thing to say. After a long discussion with my younger sister - I mean, my editor - we have come to the agreement that this story will be told in parts, meaning this is part 1 of We Four Freaks. As of now I'm predicting only one more part, but hey: it's not like I expected We Four Freaks to get this long in the first place, so who knows how long it will get?

There, I think that's everything. Next chapter's going to be considerably shorter, which means it shouldn't take long at all.

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><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable. Recent changes or inclusions will be italicized  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Spider: Feral (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)  
>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)<br>Ereth: Sloth (Female)  
>Depri: Lion (Female)<br>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)  
>Joey: Cute (Male)<br>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)  
>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)<br>_Mina: Swift (Female)  
><em>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Ameru (Male)<br>Nidec (Female)  
>Elerad (Male)<br>_Asa (Male)_  
>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1  
>Named: 1 (Jill)<p>

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<br>'Dragon': Dragonfly: Feral (Male)  
><em>Sa (Male)<em>


	80. The Failed Mission

Hiya!

It's been a while since I last updated, hasn't it? Well, since I just noticed I completely forgot to post this chapter months ago I believe I can do something about that.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 77:<em>** Ameru, Mina, and Sa return to the city to find an enraged Nidec (like usual) waiting for them. Nidec starts to insult and belittle Ameru, which earns her two punches to the face - one from Mina and one from Sa. When Sa realizes the rest of the human side of the city agrees with Nidec that Ameru should leave, his response is to make Ameru spar with Sa - revealing Ameru's talent to the crowd. Eventually Ameru, Mina, and Sa are allowed the day off, which Ameru and Sa immediately put to use to spar in a secluded sot behind Mina's room. Unnoticed by them is that Lexa and one of Elerad's ghosts are watching them. During their own conversation Lexa and the ghost reveal that Sa is in fact Zacyr in disguise, and that Zacyr has alerted the +Anima side to the fact that he has returned. Soon both Lexa and the ghost go to report to their separate leaders - with the ghost noting that she won't rat Zacyr out.

**_Chapter 78: _**Oroco is pondering why on earth he saw Zacyr's +Anima mark flickering (In chapter 71, after the failed attempt to kill Zacyr) when Krej informs Oroco that Unibas wants to talk to Oroco. Unibas is found to be highly agitated at his realization that Zacyr has returned, and is very clearly frustrated at the unexpected turn of events. When Ryca reveals that he knew Zacyr would come back to save his friends, Unibas challenges that fact - and reveals that Zacyr once attempted to kill Ryca. The cause for this is revealed moments later: Zacyr's a +Feral whose Anima's on a whole different level than Baliwe's. Oroco - the only person present who has seen a _true _+Feral before - has a flashback to his fight with Dragon, a +Feral that escaped the +Anima fight ring via a bloody dash for the exit. When Unibas calms down and is shown to be depressed by his own reaction, Oroco helps him cheer up by promising to follow any orders that Unibas gives him with no more improvising. Unibas' order: find Zacyr, and convince him to meet up with Unibas, who will explain the situation to Zacyr.

_**Chapter 79: **_Nidec ends up blowing Zacyr's cover when it's revealed she knows the _real _Sa. After Zacyr gets revealed in public, things go downhill pretty fast, especially when his +Feral gets set off. After nearly killing Mina, who turned into a +Anima to save herself, Zacyr attempts to kill a young boy only for Oroco to stop him at the last second. After the shock has partially passed Elerad has Zacyr put behind bars, while Oroco and Krej take Mina to the +Anima side. Nidec however shows quite a bit of anger at Zacyr's actions.

* * *

><p>Oroco sighed as he finally reached the +Anima side. He was sure that Krej had already gotten over here with the new +Anima girl, and that meant Unibas probably had been informed what had happened. In Oroco's mind, the mission had most certainly been a failure. There had been a corpse in the streets, which had obviously been Zacyr's doing. That meant that not only had Oroco failed to get Zacyr back, he even failed to keep Zacyr from harming anyone.<p>

He wasn't too keen on meeting up with Unibas, so he meandered his way over to the mansion. Several people greeted him and asked what happened, but he refused to answer. It was hard for him to swallow his pride and admit that he had failed yet again, even if it hadn't backfired to the extremes that his failed missions usually did.

Eventually he reached Unibas' mansion, and he could only sigh as he found Krej and the new +Anima were already there. Krej was currently explaining what the new +Anima's job would entail - how she would be expected to carry messages to different +Anima, and how Krej would spend the next few days familiarizing the new +Anima on where everyone lived.

Oroco was going to ask Krej if Unibas knew what had happened, but he found the answer when Unibas exited the mansion and asked to speak to Oroco. Just Unibas' tired stance told Oroco that Unibas knew the mission had failed. But Oroco still obeyed, and soon he was walking with Unibas inside of the mansion.

It took a little bit before Unibas spoke, and when he did his voice sounded rather soft and gentle. "Krej told me the two of you found Zacyr on a rampage, and she noted she had never seen anything like it before. Did it match what you were expecting from a +Feral?"

"Yes. He went for everything he perceived as a threat. When we got there he was attacking a girl named Nidec, who had out her sword and apparently charged him head on. That Mina girl stopped him, so he changed targets to her. When she proved too much trouble Zacyr charged at the crowd, trying to escape. A child looked him directly in the eyes, which Zacyr mistook as a threat to him."

"He mistook a child as a threat?"

"Yes, but he only thought the child was a threat because the child locked eyes with him. To animals, staring them in the eye is a sign that you are not afraid of them, and usually proves you are a sincere threat. Because the boy did so, Zacyr mistook it as a threat."

"I see. So what was Elerad's reaction?"

"He seemed to be in shock, but he has imprisoned Zacyr on the grounds that if Zacyr snaps again, it will be better to keep him confined so he can't hurt anyone."

"What was the body count?"

"One."

"The boy?"

"No, an adult male. The death happened before we got there. According to Elerad the man provoked an angry Zacyr, which triggered the transformation. Zacyr first went after the man because he was the closest, then Elerad because he was imposing, then Mina because he was thrown into her and mistook it as an attack, then Ameru because Ameru held a weapon, then Nidec because she charged him head on."

"And Mina saved her?"

"Not the first time. Elerad said that Nidec saved herself through an unexpected display of skill. By pure luck she aimed for Zacyr's head and struck, snapping him out of it. But then she tried to kill him while he was confused, and Zacyr's Feral immediately took control again to defend him. Also . . . I'd like to note that Zacyr acted very differently between transformations. I think that how he acts depends on the reason he transformed. When he transformed out of anger, he was very aggressive and never once tried to flee: when he transformed because he thought he was about to die, he was more cautious, and besides for the three times that he was provoked - once by Nidec, once by that Mina girl, and the final time by the boy - he only made threatening gestures. Elerad and I both believe that Zacyr had been trying to scare the crowd off before the child locked eyes with him, which as I noted before Zacyr took to be a challenge."

". . . I don't think I've ever heard such a detailed report before from you. You sure put a lot of thought into this one."

Oroco blushed as he looked away from Unibas. "I . . . since I couldn't return with a 'mission successful', I felt like I had to return with _something_ useful."

"It's certainly true that this information - that he seems to act differently depending on what triggers his +Anima - will help greatly with any future interactions with a +Feral. But I see you have returned with something else as well. What's with that gold pendant hanging around your neck?"

Oroco couldn't help the small grin he gave as he glanced down at the gold, tear-shaped pendant. "It's a gift from the boy's mother. I managed to knock Zacyr out before he could harm her son."

To his surprise Unibas immediately perked up as he glanced at Oroco, a sparkle in his eyes as a smile crept upon his lips. "_Ah_, so that's how the boy survived, hmm? And how did it feel when his mother was thanking you?"

". . . it felt like the entire mission was worth it, just to get that thanks."

"Then that is enough. The mission failed for reasons that were outside of your control. But the damage was minimal thanks to your quick actions. I feel like we may be one step closer to ending this war."

"But what about Zacyr?"

". . . I'll see if I can get Lexa to speak to one of Elerad's ghosts, to tell us about how Zacyr has responded. I doubt he's going to be himself for a while even if he doesn't beat himself up for what he's done. But what surprises me most is that Elerad's sympathetic to him now. Do you know why that may -"

Unibas and Oroco turned around when Lexa's voice crawled out from a nearby hallway. "Elerad found himself against the very thing that influenced Zacyr to attack his mother. He must realize now that Zacyr had no hope to keep something like that under his control. But of course . . . that makes it even more of a shock that Zacyr was able to damage it in the first place."

It took Oroco a while before his heart started beating again. He just couldn't stand it when Lexa snuck up on him, even when he hadn't gained her ire. But once he had calmed down, he asked her a question. "But . . . how can someone damage a +Anima? I don't understand that."

To his surprise Lexa simply sighed and shook her head. "Well, to be completely honest Oroco . . . we don't know. What Zacyr did that night is unheard of. All we know for sure is _what_ he did, not _how_. He trapped himself between human and +Anima. Right now though it doesn't matter what he did. It was only temporary, and now his Feral is now fully repaired. What's really important is how he's going to respond to that information."

* * *

><p>*insert lame excuse for lack of updates and empty promise to put up the next chapter faster here*<p>

I felt like giving Oroco a good moment. I should probably do the same to Zacyr sometime soon . . . maybe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>List of Characters:<strong>_

[Example]  
>Name:*+Anima (Gender) *~Deceased~<br>*_if applicable. Recent changes or inclusions will be italicized  
><em>

[Initial Group]  
>Tachine: Fox (Female)<br>Kshtsi: Jellyfish (Male)  
>Sarysi: Scorpion (Female)<br>Zacyr: Spider: Feral (Male)

[Edreg's Group]  
>Edreg: Honey Badger (Male)<br>Cody: Chameleon (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Rudeg: Skunk (Female) ~Deceased~<br>Dancing Shadow: Preying Mantis (Male)  
>Kesi: Porcupine (Male)<p>

[+Anima in city]  
>Ryca: Tiger Beetle (Male)<br>Tersil: Snake (Male)  
>Xorada: Lion (Male)<br>Yena: Hyena (Male)  
>Unibas: Jackal (Male)<br>Rhewol: Howler Monkey (Male)  
>Jackie: Jackrabbit (Female)<br>Lerigna: Peregrine Falcon (Female)  
>Lexa: Black Widow (Female)<br>Ele: Electric Eel (Female)  
>Tulig: Great White Shark (Female)<br>Ereth: Sloth (Female)  
>Depri: Lion (Female)<br>Doctor Roo (Jill): Kangaroo (Female)  
>Joey: Cute (Male)<br>Edreg's father (Adran): Moose (Male)  
>Baliwe: Cheetah: Feral (Male)<br>Mina: Swift (Female)_  
><em>Yev: Eagle (Female) ~Deceased~

[Oroco's Group]  
>Oroco: Emu (Male)<br>Krej: Scarlet Macaw (Female)  
>Thraw: Giant Crimson Rock Lizard (Female) ~Deceased~<p>

[Human side]  
>Ameru (Male)<br>Nidec (Female)  
>Elerad (Male)<br>Asa (Male)  
>Ace (Male) ~Deceased~<br>Cory (Male) ~Deceased~  
>Retaby (Male) ~Deceased~<p>

[Elerad's Ghosts]  
>Confirmed male: 2<br>Confirmed female: 1  
>Named: 1 (Jill)<p>

[Unknown]  
>Qeneu (Female)<br>'Dragon': Dragonfly: Feral (Male)  
>Sa (Male)<p> 


End file.
